College Farm Organic Candy - Products, Company, Where to buy

Our Company

We had been making quality candies for over 50 years when we noticed a groundswell of interest in organic products within the food industry. Here in Lancaster County, PA we’re close to the land, (many of us are the children or grandchildren of farmers) so we felt a strong connection to the organic ideals. Even though organic certification isn’t easy – there are mountains of paperwork to complete and numerous procedure changes and inspections to get through – we knew we could do it and make a superior product. And we did: College Farm® Organic. The name comes from the home of our company founder, Charles Simon. His farm sat high on a hill, where the land was really too rocky to be very productive, so as his candy business took off Charlie donated chunks of the land to the college next door. Today, what remains of the farm is surrounded on three sides by the school, and all the locals refer to it as the “College Farm”.

College Farm® Organic's parent company, Simon Candy, was founded in 1949 by Charles and Margaret Simon. The original manufacturing facility, still in operation today, was built in 1950 at 31 North Spruce Street, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. Initially, the company produced decorated seasonal chocolate products, switching to hard candies several years later. In May of 1974 Simon Candy was sold to JoEl Inc., owned by John and Eleanor Hess. Since 1974, two expansions have been added to the original manufacturing facility.

In 1982, the company started to produce throat lozenges and cough drops after management recognized opportunity in the cough drop market. To better serve this market, JoEl Inc. created a second division named Pharmaloz, and built a new "State of the Art" production facility with continuous operation in nearby Lebanon, PA. Today this facility is used to manufacture cough drops, a selection of OTC products, and Cold-Eeze® lozenges.

In 1988, the two original founders of JoEl Inc. retired and sold the balance of their ownership to their children. The company continued its strong growth with the second generation adding two expansions to the Pharmaloz facility as they expanded the cough drop market.

Since 1995, JoEl Inc. has successfully manufactured the Cold-Eeze® homeopathic zinc cold remedy lozenge. Within a six-month period, from the fall of 1996, JoEl Inc. successfully completed the national pipeline fill for the product, which experienced the fastest sales increase in the history of the cough/cold lozenge category. The two companies have been working together since to expand the Cold-Eeze® family product line which now includes Kidz-Eeze® Sore Throat Pops and assorted flavors of Cold-Eeze® lozenges.

Original Simon's building, Elizabethtown, PA

College Farm® Organic hard candies were introduced in 2003. The passing of national organic standards legislation in 2002 made it possible to produce organic candies that could be certified. Before that, the term "organic" could be used without substantiation. We completed the paperwork and inspections and became the first U.S. confectioner, (still perhaps the only) making certified organic hard candies. After much experimentation with colors and flavors, we added NATUREPOPS® in 2004. The lollipops were met with an enthusiastic response, and have been featured on television and won a national taste test.

Pharmaloz Plant, Lebanon, PA On October 1, 2004 The Quigley Corporation, owners of the Cold-Eeze® brand, purchased the assets of JoEl, Inc., renaming the new company Quigley Manufacturing Inc. We will continue to manufacture quality confections and OTC products at our Elizabethtown and Lebanon plants. The keys to past success are those embraced by present management, which are:
1) The ethical treatment of customers, vendors, and employees and of the management of business assets.
2) The dedication to producing a quality product with inherent consumer value.

MISSION STATEMENT
Quigley Manufacturing Inc. develops and manufactures high-boiled confections and lozenges for the branded and private label market. The corporation endeavors to profitably manufacture products of consistently superior quality, to serve customers in a timely and satisfactory manner, and to competitively price products yielding excellent value for our customers.