Jolly Rancher Founder Dies
Dorothy Harmsen, Co-Founder Of Jolly Rancher Co., Passes Away
Dorothy Harmsen, who co-founded the Jolly Rancher Co., and developed the company’s signature candy alongside her husband Bill, died this week at 91, according to CandyBusinessInsider, a candy industry newsletter.
The Harmsens started Jolly Rancher in their home and sold soft-serve ice cream, chocolates and other items. As demand increased, they set up a kitchen in their barn and production eventually reached 1 million pounds of candy a week, according to The Denver Post.
Jolly Rancher was sold to Beatrice Foods Co. in 1966 and later acquired by Leaf North America. The Hershey Co. purchased Leaf, along with the Jolly Rancher line, in 1996.
In addition to her role in the candy company, Harmsen was one of the world’s leading experts and collectors of Western Art. In 2001, the couple donated more than 3,000 pieces of art to the Denver Art Museum. Bill Harmsen died in 2002.
September 11th, 2006 at 4:05 pm
I love Green Apple Jolly Ranchers. But, I can’t figure out how to make my own blog on this site. What i really am looking for is what I think were called “Flame Throwers”. I used to buy them about 40 years ago. They came in a bag like Sugar Babies and were caramel covered with a cinnamon shell. Or the other way around??? Yummy combination. I cannot find them anywhere on the internet. It’s like I’m the only one who remembers them. Does anyone else remember?