Chemung County soon to be home of 100,000 s/f manufacturing facility for Turtles Candy

DeMet's Candy Company broke ground on a candy processing plant in the Airport Corporate Park in May. The company, headquartered in Stamford, Conn., is building a new home for its Turtles brand candy that the company acquired from Nestles in July, 2007. The 100,000 s/f manufacturing facility is being built on a 17-acre parcel in the park developed by the Chemung County IDA in 1996. DeMet's Candy Company is investing over $13 million in the facility and equipment. The company has committed to creating a minimum of 100 new manufacturing jobs, in return for considerable financial assistance secured by STEG, including a $500,000 grant from Empire State Development, a $732,000 grant secured through the New York State Office of Community Renewal to assist with machinery purchase, $250,000 grant secured by Senator George Winner via the Community Capital Access Program, and a $45,000 grant was secured by assemblyman Tom O'Mara to help offset the costs of constructing a public road to the facility. DeMet's Candy Company changed its name from Signature Snacks, when it acquired the Turtles brand candy business from Nestles. The company is also the owner of Flipz coated pretzels, which DeMet's owner, Brynwood Partners also acquired from Nestles. Brynwood Partners also owns Stella D'oro Biscuit Company and Richelieu Foods, a leading supplier of private label salad dressing and frozen pizza. "Turtles is a wonderful brand and an indulgent chocolate treat," said DeMet's president David Clarke. "The combination of the Turtles and Flipz under DeMet's will create a national full-line chocolate company. The combined product lines will allow us to become a much more significant supplier to our retail customers." The 150-acre Airport Corporate Park is now home to 18 businesses that employ over 1,700 people. These companies have invested $80 million in facilities. The DeMet's project leaves only six acres left in the development and Southern Tier Economic Growth, in partnership with Chemung County and the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency, purchased 150 additional acres South of the Airport Corporate Park and have been working to make Airport Corporate Park South shovel ready to continue the success seen in the original development.