Gorant Candies of Warren Refutes ‘Misinformation’

WARREN, Ohio – Ed Ridenbaugh, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Gorant Candies of Warren, wants to “set the record straight” regarding Gorant Chocolates’ change in ownership announcement.

Gorant Chocolates announced late Tuesday in a news release that it has stopped production at its factory at 8301 Market St., Boardman, pending a sale to new, local ownership.

“We knew something was in the works, however, we were completely blindsided by the press release from the current owners and investors,” Ridenbaugh said.

In its news release, Gorant Chocolates said its store on U.S. Route 224 will close after Mother’s Day, and the licensee stores in Austintown and Howland that operate under the Gorant brand will transition to private, individual brands in the coming months.

“I am very disheartened on the news and I am even more upset that the viewers were provided with misinformation on our Gorant Candies of Warren company,” Ridenbaugh said in a statement Wednesday. “Let me set the record straight by stating that Gorant Candies of Warren and our affiliate, Gorant Chocolatier in Austintown, are not transitioning over to a private brand, and it is business as usual for both our location and the Austintown location as well.”

Ridenbaugh said though Gorant Candies of Warren buys products from the Boardman factory, it has had its own manufacturing facility for the past 13 years and also manufactures its own line of chocolates using “the original chocolate that Gorant Candies was founded upon by Charles Gorant back in 1949.”

Ridenbaugh said he apologizes to customers who were led “to believe something that simply is not true.”

Pictured at top: A selection of candy from Gorant Candies of Warren. (gorantcandiesofwarren.com)

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.