Kettle Award aside, Koch says being in the position of overseeing expansion in manufacturing, and watching the company grow, makes the sailing truly sweet.

Lance Paine, president of Goo Goo Cluster, LLC, always believed that a flagship store was exactly what the brand needed.

A mention by Martha Stewart about the chocolates soon shifted chocolate production into high gear, moving production from the kitchen to the dining and living rooms, and eventually to their barn.

It’s no secret that Michael Rosenberg likes to collect candy memorabilia.

“We learned a lesson,” Rosenberg says. “We were a bit too conservative, too hesitant to expand manufacturing and packaging capacity. So we made it our mandate last year to find a way to do it. And now, we’re back to our normal growth rates.”

Despite slowing groth, all signs suggest it’s just a matter of taking a deep breath before innovative new products spur a resurgence.

It wasn’t long before she whisked me to the Tootsie Roll production area to view a continuous slab of that wonderful chocolate-like confection falling onto a conveyor belt.

“We wanted to analyze who we are, our history, where we belong in the category,” says Doug Simons. “We have a great history, a great product, a great following. We needed to focus on our premium quality.”

Jamee handles all donations by the company, which range from “candy to blood and sweat to cash.”

A surf board still hangs in the executive offices of Santa Cruz Nutritionals (SCN). It's a testament to the company’s namesake city, and a reminder of the days when the company's founders actually surfed.