Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

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Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

Type	Public (NASDAQ: RMCF)
Founded	1981
Headquarters	Durango, Colorado, USA
Key people	Franklin E. Crail, Founder and CEO
Industry	Chocolate and other confectionery
Revenue	▲26.8 million USD (2005)
Employees	250 (2005 figure)
Website	http://www.rmcf.com

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (NASDAQ: RMCF) is a chocolate company retailer and manufacturer based in Durango, Colorado. It manufactures chocolate and other confections at its Durango factory, though some products are made at individual stores. The company has 323 franchise locations in 40 US states, Guam, Canada and the United Arab Emirates. It's best selling items are caramel apples and chocolate bears

[edit] History

The company was founded by Frank Crail, who had recently moved to Durango from Newport Beach, California to raise his family in a small town. He later confessed to Candy industry magazine that he would have opened a See's Candies, but the company doesn't sell franchises. In 1981 the first store was opened on Main street by Hank and two partners. In 1982 the company's first franchises, one in Colorado Springs and one in Park City, Utah an offsite factory was also built that year. In 1983 the two other partners left the bussiness. In 1985 the company went public on the NASDAQ. In 1996 Whitman's Candies made an offer to buy the company for US$16 million. The offer was rejected by management after the company's results improved in late 1996.