Hammond’s Candies Celebrates Colorado Day!

Colorado Owned and Operated, 100 Years Later

When Carl Hammond opened his candy store in 1920, he had no idea how big his company would grow or how far his sweets would reach. At the time, Hammond’s Candies was a neighborhood destination for residents of nearby Denver neighborhoods.

Today, more than 100 years later, Hammond’s Candies can be found on shelves in all 50 United States! It’s been quite a journey growing from a neighborhood store to a national company, and we’re proud to have been a uniquely Colorado company the entire time.

That’s why Hammond’s Candies is proud to celebrate Colorado Day! Plenty of talent, dedication, and sweet tooths from the Mile High City have made Hammond’s Candies what it is today. As the anniversary of Colorado’s statehood dawns, we’d like to reflect on a century of local history!

 

SWEET STORIES FROM 1920

At just 24 years old, Carl Hammond Sr. was still a young adult when he opened his first store. It was a business made first and foremost for his family, friends, and neighbors in Denver. Incidentally, it grew so quickly because of Carl’s commitment to his community: he constantly asked for advice from his family. He also counted on his friends to taste-test his new creations. In fact, one of these friendships led to the legendary Mitchell Sweet, which you can read about on our blog.

While it isn’t as prolific today, Carl Hammond also started his candy store at a time when sugar beet production was one of the largest agricultural products in Colorado. His candy started reaching a wider audience right as Denver was entering the later days of a historical ‘sugar rush,’ and the timing meant that he had access to high-quality sugar for confectioners without having to order from out-of-state suppliers.

Hammond’s products, supply, and roots in the community would be put to the test during the Great Depression. Not long after Carl opened his storefront, the United States experienced a financial crisis that sunk tens of thousands of businesses nationwide. Despite many larger businesses sinking, Hammond’s Candies managed to grow steadily during such a difficult time, a fact that Carl Hammond always attributed to the strength of the Colorado community around him and his obsession with high quality.

Even as the Great Depression ended and his son joined the company, Carl Hammond never lost sight of the ingenuity and resourcefulness that made Hammond’s Candies so endearing. Instead of purchasing all-new machinery, he was mindful of getting good deals from other local candy makers who no longer needed their machines.

In fact, many of those same devices still operate in the Hammond’s Factory today! While replacing parts for these older machines can be difficult, they’re a vital part of keeping our handcrafted traditions going.

Even toward the end of his life, Carl Hammond Sr. was guided by the love of candy and community. As the popular story goes, it still took two designated employees to keep up with him on the line while he cut and crooked candy canes.

The 20th-century story of Hammond’s Candies is one of community, candy, and Colorado! Over time, different members of the Hammond Family entered and left the company as it grew into all 49 other United States. Still, its roots as a Denver neighborhood candy store never truly disappeared.

 

HAMMOND’S TODAY

More than a century later, Hammond’s Candies is still Colorado-owned, Colorado-operated, and an active member of the Colorado community. Our Denver-based candy factory still uses fresh local ingredients and handcrafted techniques to make candy with the same passion and quality as Carl Hammond did in 1920.

The main difference is that we’ve grown a bit since then!

Today, Hammond’s Candies is proud to employ more than 20 candy cooks from Denver, the Mile High City. Instead of selling just to local neighborhoods, our candy can be found on shelves in every state! Whereas Carl Hammond first opened his store to sell a handful of products, we make more than 100 candies using his handcraft traditions.

The secret to this growth is the same: Colorado sugar, Colorado talent, and a relentless passion for handmade candy! So, every time Colorado Day comes around, we consider it a choice to reflect upon (and celebrate!) the uniquely Colorado journey we’ve taken.

 Whether you’re a Denver native, an out-of-towner, or just in love with Hammond’s Candies, there’s something for every sweet tooth in our candy collection. If you’re ever in Denver and want to see how the magic is made, please join more than 12,000 annual visitors for a tree tour of our factory!

Happy Colorado Day, everyone.