Don Todrin & Fred Seibert 54 & 50, founders of True Confections Inc. in Amherst, Massachusetts
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Description: Niche marketerof entertainment-licensed chocolate and candies
Start-up: About $200,000 in1999
Sales: Projected 2002 salesof $3 million to $4 million
Bar none: Despite thetriumvirate Nestle, Hershey and Mars, Todrin and Seibert sought ashare of the $20 billion candy market. Contends Todrin,"[Those companies] are so committed to their standardizedproducts that, to an extent, it leaves an opportunity fororiginality and creativity."
I think icon: Entertainmenticons ranging from the long-familiar Scooby Doo and Spider-Man tothe more recent SpongeBob SquarePants and Lord of the Ringscharacters can be found on the wrappers of True Confections'treats, in addition to the company's successful PMS andHandyman lines.
Candymen at work: BecauseSeibert's rap sheet lists him as former head of Hanna-Barberaand Nickelodeon online as well as MTV's original creativedirector, Todrin listens to him when it comes to what's hot."Being a small business, we can jump right on something,"says Todrin. "We take advantage of exciting and explosivetrends."
Confectious charms: Thecandy's sold mostly in novelty, gift and fashion chains for$1.39 to $1.99. "We're not really selling chocolatebars," says Todrin. "We're selling entertainmentimpulse items. Our products possess the 'I gotta have that'syndrome."
Contact Source
- True Confections Inc.
(888) 556-5599, www.trueconfections.com
