Primrose Candy Co., a near-century-old, family-owned Chicago candy manufacturer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Jan. 27, according to the Chicago Tribune. The founding Puch family needs to restructure more than $12 million in debt and secure new financing to pay its 90 mostly contract employees and other business expenses.
Primrose makes hard, chewy and panned candies as well as popcorn and even some dietary supplements, all of which is done for private label or as contract manufacturing. An attorney for the company said Primrose has not been able to keep up with the rising cost of ingredients while also servicing past debt.
Frank and Mae Puch launched Primrose Candy in 1928 with $500 and a few years of hands-on experience working at other Chicago candy companies, according to the Tribune. Their son joined the family business in 1945. As it transitions into the fourth-generation of family ownership, it generated $7.8 million in revenue last year, down from $11.8 million in 2024.
About the Author
Dave Fusaro
Editor in Chief
Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.