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Candymaker Finds Sweet Success through assistance from CIRAS
With the help of: Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS)
About
Fairy Tale Cotton Candy is a family-owned business located in Des Moines, Iowa, employing more than 30 people making candy sold worldwide. More than 50 varieties of cotton candy are produced and shipped far and wide to small stores and big box outlets as well as under private labels to Universal Studios, Dollywood, and other tourist destinations.
The Challenge
It’s challenging to grow a business. It is overwhelming to go after new ideas. We have a formula for how to do it, but it takes a lot of time. Working with CIRAS makes it easy to manage everything. We’ve partnered with them for a long time, and they know our business.
MEP's Role
CIRAS worked with the owners on a wide range of topics as they transitioned from a retail shop to a manufacturer. This assistance included helping them understand the requirements of being an FDA-inspected caramel factory, attaining Preventive Controls for Qualified Individuals (PCQI) certification, internet marketing strategy, and identification of a plant manager.
Chocolate Story Book and Fairy Tale Cotton Candy now sells products through a variety of channels, including Amazon and Etsy. CIRAS helped them understand their customer data needs by conducting a customer relationship management matrix development exercise. The Shearers were able to create a system to track their various sales mechanisms, helping them to better manage and meet customer demand.