Business is sweet at Ganong

While it's been a rough year for many candy manufacturers in Canada, the biggest candy maker in the Maritimes ispursuing expansion plans.

Ganong Chocolates has significantly increased its output of sugar candies like jujubes and peppermints, said the company's CEO.
"We currently are operating with something in the area of 15 to 20 per cent more employees than last year," said David Ganong, a fourth-generation confectioner.

The company is in negotiations that could result in significant expansion to its business, Ganong said.

"Were we to be successful in some of the discussions that are currently taking place, that would need to ramp up even considerably further."

Ganong hopes some of those discussions will be completed within the next few months.

Ganong has watched as candy-making giants fell this year.

Hershey shut down all three of its Canadian factories in 2007, including the Moirs chocolate plant in Dartmouth, just before Christmas.

Production from that plant was moved to Mexico.

Ganong Chocolates has actually gained business out of its competitors shutting down, Ganong said.

"It's our goal to try and take advantage of what opportunities might exist as a result of the change in the nature of the industry and as I would call it, the consolidation," Ganong said.

Candy exports to the U.S. havealso fallenbecause of thestronger Canadian dollar.