Calico Cottage
A business built on quality, integrity and dedication to our customers.
In 1957, Leonard Wurzel followed in the footsteps of his father, Maurice, and became the president of Loft Candy Company, a Long Island City, New York-based candy manufacturer and retailer. Loft Candy was featured in 21 department stores in 15 states. In 1964, Leonard and several other Loft Candy executives negotiated to purchase the business from its Philadelphia-based holding company. When the deal fell through, Leonard and a number of other Loft executives decided to resign.
Around 1969, the partners tried a new business model: operating leased candy departments in Arlan’s, a fast-growing mass merchandiser. Operating under the name Watchit Maid, most of the candy was shipped in, but a few items, including fudge, were made on-site. This second business model was a success—until a newcomer to the mass merchandise field, K-Mart, crushed Arlan’s and almost took down Calico.
1971
Calico’s Fudge Retailing Solutions Is Created
After the closure of Arlan’s Leonard reinvented the business a third time. This is when Leonard created the Retail Solutions Program that has kept Calico, and its customers growing and profitting since 1971. The company would target existing retailers, helping them to sell fudge year-round by using Calico’s profitable Fresh Fudge Made On-Site Retail Program. As with any new concept, Leonard had to work hard to find retailers willing to try it out. A chance meeting on an escalator paved the way for the prestigious, Chicago-based Marshall Field department store to adopt Calico’s fudge retailing program. This was a critical turning point in that doing business with Marshall Field brought credibility to tiny Calico Cottage.
In 1974 Mark Wurzel joined his father in the family business and extended the Calico reach by extending their efforts to include exhibiting at trade shows. Trade Shows were an effective way to introduce forward-thinking retailers a way to differentiate themselves from the competition.
Larry Wurzel, Leonard’s younger son, joined the team and brought onboard a wealth of innovation and creativity. Larry expanded Calico’s flavor options, created and tested new recipes, and developed the packaging and merchandizing initiatives.
In 1980, Calico and its 12 employees moved out of its basement location and into 10,000 square feet in Mineola, New York. Coming from 800 square feet in a basement, Leonard said “We’ll never outgrow this.” In 1988, with 35 employees, Calico added an additional 5,500 square feet.
Leonard retired from Calico in 1992 and his sons took over. Mark, who had been with the company since 1974, became President and Larry, who had been with Calico since 1977, became Vice President.
1999
Calico Expands Again With A New State-Of-The-Art Headquarters
In 1999 Calico built its current state-of-the-art 45,000 square foot facility in Amityville, NY. The entire New York based Calico family works at this location… from sales and marketing to manufacturing and shipping, from accounting and development to logistics and operations. This is Calico Cottage’s home
The Company celebrated its founder’s 90th birthday and warmly welcomed the third generation of Wurzels into the fold. Mark’s son, Max, joined the team as a Sales Consultant before doing a rotation in fudge mix production, receiving, and purchasing. Currently, Max is the Supply Chain Manager, directing Calico’s purchasing strategies and logistics management.
Calico celebrated its 50th Anniversary and introduced grab-n-go fudge retailing solutions. As a completely unique retail category, grocery and convenience stores have the opportunity to showcase and sell award-winning fudge with minimal-to-no labor involved.
Leonard Wurzel, Calico’s founder and confectionery industry pioneer, was posthumously inducted into the Candy Hall of Fame on October 24, 2015. Leonard was recognized for giving back to the industry and supporting its betterment during his career, as well as for his social and civic dedication.
In the continual quest to exceed quality and safety expectations, Calico Cottage obtained SQF Food Safety Code for Manufacturing Certification exceeding the most rigorous food safety standards. Calico Cottage also achieved a rating of “Excellent” from National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) International, an independent public health and safety organization.
TODAY & TOMORROW
Calico continues to evolve and focus on the needs of its retailers. Calico’s commitment to customers remains at the forefront, focusing on providing new and exciting insights and tools to help retailers increase sales and profits and grow their businesses. Calico is a business solutions provider, as much as a fudge and nuts innovator. The support, partnership, ingenuity and quality are some of the fundamentals that make up the Calico Difference and set Calico apart from competition.
Calico will continue to lead the industry in innovation and quality by developing new products and solutions while staying ahead of the retail curve. The roadmap of Calico’s future is full of new and exciting initiatives focused on growing retailing opportunities, offerings and profit margins. Calico will be one of the driving forces of success in the ever-changing retail landscape.
