supplier profile
From good taste to good causes, Jer’s Chocolates has it all
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late-covered peanut balls. “It was a natural,” he
says. “I love chocolate, and I love peanut butter.” Back at college for a Christmas party, “The
balls, or Jer’s Balls, as friends called them, were
a hit,” he reports, and each year friends begged
for them. “After college, working at IBM and in
the high-tech industry, my candy-making reputation continued. I started having [annual]
parties where everyone brought canned goods
for local food banks,” he says. As the popularity
of the parties—also referred to as “Jer’s Balls”—
grew, he started renting restaurants. For the
next nine years, attendees at Jer’s Balls
donated thousands of pounds of food to
fight hunger.
Jerry Swain, CEO,
Jer’s Chocolates
COURTESY JER’S CHOCOLATES
By Eva Shaw
“I EAT CHOCOLATE every day,” says Jerry
Swain, founder and CEO of Jer’s Chocolates,
and this guy knows what it takes to enjoy the
good stuff—because that’s exactly what he set
out do 11 years ago.
Swain is a trim, youthful 47-year-old,
thriving on the entrepreneurial roller-coaster
ride. He has a serious sweet tooth for the business of candy. Yet, the lessons he learned as a
kid make his journey even more fulfilling.
“Growing up, my parents didn’t tell me to
do the right thing; they showed me in how
they lived their lives,” he tells The Connection.
“Whenever my dad saw someone needing
help, like changing a tire, he’d stop to lend a
hand. It was just something he did.” Now, as a
husband and a father of two, Swain keeps the
deeds and words of his parents in mind when
parenting and making business decisions.
SUPPLIERPROFILE
Doing things right
Stepping back in history, Swain viv-
idly recalls a watershed moment in 2001:
For Swain, doing the right thing was a
no-brainer when selecting ingredients for the
products. “As in the beginning, we continue to
use the freshest and highest-quality ingredi-
ents, including real vanilla, butter and sugar.
Our chocolate is ethically sourced and certi-
fied by the World Cocoa Foundation,” he
notes. “Whether your faves are Jer’s Incredi-
balls, Jer’s Squares, Jer’s Peanut Brittle Bites or
the other yummy delights, you can feel con-
tent knowing your chocolate-covered con-
sumer decisions support those decisions.”
Swain’s passions continue to be family
and candy. A board member of the San Diego
Food Bank, he donates time and resources to
charities around the country. “Years back we
created Jer’s Cares, and today it contributes to
over 100 worthy causes,” he says.
World domination of the competitive
candy market isn’t on the radar for Jer’s
Chocolates, even in jest. He explains, “We
make gourmet chocolate and peanut butter
candies for people who love exceptionally delicious chocolate and
peanut butter candies.” He pictures his customers enjoying
and giving his products, and
adds with a chuckle, “Like
me, they might even keep
a stash in their desk
drawer.” C
s
te
pe v
tionally delicious chocolate and
tt
r e
and giving his products, and
w “
t h
a r
Tech major, chocolate minor
While attending the University of California, Riverside, Swain got a reputation—for
making hand-dipped, chocolate-covered
peanut butter candies. At home on Thanksgiving break, he pulled out a recipe for choco-
Name: Jer’s Chocolates
Employees: 18
Contact at:
P.O. Box 801, Solana Beach, CA 92075;
1-800-540-7265;
www.jers.com
Products at Costco:
At Costco (selection varies): peanut
clusters, almond clusters, Jer’s Squares
and peanut butter balls. On Costco.com:
Trio tower (shown at right)
Comments about Costco:
“I continue to be impressed
with the organization, the prod-
uct quality and selection in the
stores and online, as well as
the services offered. The
talent and knowledge of
the employees we work
with make doing busi-
ness a pleasure.”
—Jerry Swain
Eva Shaw (www.
evashaw.com) lives
in Carlsbad, California.
