When it came time to field the story on Russell Stover, I thought I had done my homework regarding their operations, new product introductions, etc. Well, was I surprised after I had a chance to sit down and talk with Tom and Scott Ward, co-presidents of Russell Stover Candies. Essentially, the company's gone into overdrive with regards to new product initiatives and pending launches into the marketplace.

Enlarge this picture Batch cooking in Iola, Kan. Facility

This isn't grandma's Russell Stover anymore; it's a savvy midsized confectionery company that's not just attuned to the marketplace, it is acting on trends within the marketplace.

As the cover story relates, in addition to having launched Private Reserve and Organic Chocolates, the company is rolling out Artisan, Single Origin and International collections.

Enlarge this picture Caramel heading toward the mogul

That said, very often some of the best stories and anecdotes don't quite make into an article simply because of space constraints or copy flow. But now that I've committed myself to doing a blog, I have an opportunity to share those vignettes via another medium.

So let me share some stories. First, I had a chance to dine with Scott Ward at the Capital Grille in Kansas City 's lovely Country Club Plaza neighborhood. Scott and I got to know each other better during the meal, a meal that definitely met even this Chicagoan's expectations for steak.

Enlarge this picture Ingredient holding tanks in Iola

In addition to finding out about Scott and Tom's rivalry during high school – “Whenever we played against each other on the basketball court, you knew there would be fisticuffs; we took it real personal” – I was the beneficiary of Scott's extensive knowledge of wines. He ordered a wonderful Argentinean Malbec under the Tikal brand (At least that's what I think he ordered) and talked about how he and Tom – despite being very different people -- complement each other today. (By the way, both are quite the connossieurs and belong to a special tasting club. Oh yes, they no longer come to fisticuffs, be it the boardroom or the basketball court.)

What came through loud and clear that night, and the subsequent following day, was the fact that both of them have worked very hard to ensure the success of Russell Stover Candies not only today, but for the future.

Enlarge this picture Santas heading toward packaging

And speaking of the future, that's what Brian Calovich and Gregory Carlson, the young v.p.'s of manufacturing represent. I had the opportunity to drive down to Iola , Kansas with these fellows and it was exciting to hear them talk about the numerous projects and challenges these earnest operations executives faced.

It was just as interesting to have Harold Wattjes, senior vice president of manufacturing, provide some perspective about how certain things are done at Russell Stover, everything from a religious adherence to batch cooking to the company's strict guidelines about aging chocolate.

Enlarge this picture Bunnies being wrapped in foil

This was the first time I had specifically heard about a manufacturer asking suppliers to age chocolate prior to supplying it to the plant. According to Wattjes, Russell Stover likes to age their milk chocolate about 90 days and their dark about 150 days. As he explains, “It helps the chocolate to mellow out.”

Actually, when you think about it, having a glass of fine wine and good chocolate is a perfect way to mellow out. Check out some of the additional photos we couldn't all place into the feature. Cheers!