Trolli is a German manufacturer of

confectionery Confectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categories ...

. Its American arm was sold in 1996 and became a

brand used by Ferrara Candy Company. Trolli sells gummy candies,

marshmallows Marshmallow (, ) is a type of confectionery that is typically made from sugar, water and gelatin whipped to a solid-but-soft consistency. It is used as a filling in baking or normally molded into shapes and coated with corn starch. The sugar c ...

, and soft

licorice Liquorice (British English) or licorice (American English) ( ; also ) is the common name of ''Glycyrrhiza glabra'', a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring can be extracted. The liq ...

gums in over 80 countries and has factories in Germany, Spain, Indonesia, USA, China and the Czech Republic.

History

In 1948 Willy Mederer founded Willy Mederer KG, a company producing pasta in

Fürth Fürth (; East Franconian: ; yi, פיורדא, Fiurda) is a city in northern Bavaria, Germany, in the administrative division (''Regierungsbezirk'') of Middle Franconia. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg, the centres of the t ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. When sugar rationing regulations were lifted the company changed production from pasta to confectionery. The company grew in the 1950s and 1960s, widening the product range and rising to 150 staff. Candies were sold under the Wilmed brand, a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsstarch mogul A starch mogul is a machine that makes shaped candies or candy centers from syrups or gels, such as gummi candy. These softer candies and centers are made by filling a tray with cornstarch, stamping the desired shape into the starch, and then po ...

machines and the 'Trolli-Burger'. Mederer received the 1993 Candy Kettle Award. A subsidiary, Trolli Iberica S.A., was founded in Valencia, Spain, in 1994. A production site was opened in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1997. The Mederer Group later opened a packaging plant in Pilsen, Czech Republic. eFruti, a fruit gummy brand from

Neunburg vorm Wald Neunburg vorm Wald is a municipality in the district of Schwandorf, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 21 km east of Schwandorf on the river Schwarzach, a tributary of the Naab. Mayor The mayor is Martin Birner (CSU). He was elected in 2014 ...

, was acquired by the Mederer Group in 1998 and its name used, slightly altered to eFrutti, as a brand. Gummi Bear Factory of

Boizenburg Boizenburg () is a municipality in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, 53 km west of Ludwigslust, 25 km northeast of Lüneburg and 50 km east of ...

was bought in 2000.

In the United States

In the 1980s Trolli exports to North America grew to 40 tonnes per day. In 1986 Mederer built a production facility in

Creston, Iowa Creston is a city in and the county seat of Union County, Iowa. The population was 7,536 at the time of the 2020 Census. History Creston was originally settled in 1868 as a survey camp for the Burlington and Missouri Railroad. It was name ...

. Trolli's US operations were sold to Favorite Brands International in 1996 and subsequently owned by

Nabisco Nabisco (, abbreviated from the earlier name National Biscuit Company) is an American manufacturer of cookies and snacks headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey. The company is a subsidiary of Illinois-based Mondelēz International. Nabisco's ...

(1999),

Kraft Foods The second incarnation of Kraft Foods is an American food manufacturing and processing conglomerate, split from Kraft Foods Inc. in 2012 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It became part of Kraft Heinz in 2015. A merger with Heinz, arra ...

(2000),

Wrigleys The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, known as the Wrigley Company, is an American multinational chewing gum (Wrigley's gum) company, based in the Global Innovation Center (GIC) in Goose Island, Chicago, Illinois. Wrigley's is wholly owned by Mars, In ...

(2005), and

Farley's & Sathers Candy Company Farley's & Sathers Candy Company was created as an umbrella company to roll up many small companies, brands and products under a common management team.Ferrara Candy Company The Ferrara Candy Company is an American candy manufacturer, based in Chicago, Illinois, and owned by the Ferrero Group. The company was formed from a 2012 merger of the Illinois-based Ferrara Pan Candy Company and Minnesota-based Farley's & Sa ...

in 2013. In 2004 Trolli introduced a

roadkill Roadkill is an animal or animals that have been struck and killed by drivers of motor vehicles on highways. Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) have increasingly been the topic of academic research to understand the causes, and how it can be mi ...

themed gummy candy in the shape of chickens, squirrels, and snakes with tire tracks on them. Kraft Foods, then the owner of the Trolli US brand, pulled the candy from the market in 2005 in response to protests.

Sponsorship

Trolli sponsored the football club

SpVgg Greuther Fürth Spielvereinigung Greuther Fürth (), commonly known as Greuther Fürth (), is a German football club based in Fürth, Bavaria. They play in the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of the German football league system, following relegation from the B ...

from 2010 to 2014, during which time their home stadium was named the '' Trolli Arena''.

Manufacturing plants and factories

Trolli GmbH has its headquarters in Fürth and has factories in Boizenburg, Neunburg vorm Wald and Hagenow. In 2001 Mederer built a production site in Guangzhou, China in a joint venture with the Spanish company 'Multi Joyco'. in 2004 Mederer took over 100% of the enterprise. From China Trolli exports its products to nations in Asia, Australasia, North America and the Middle East. In Europe Trolli has a manufacturing plant in Valencia, Spain, Italy and a packaging plant in Pilsen, Czech Republic. They also have a production plant in Colombia under the manufacturer Aldor.

Products

Trolli product ranges include: Original, Sour, Soft, Special, Liquorice, Extra Fruity, Marshmallows, Gelatine-free, Gluten, Vegetarian, Lactose-Free, Halal products and Gummy Frogs.

References

External links

Trolli GmbH
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Trolli US

Trolli Ukraine
Brand name confectionery German brands German confectionery Ferrara Candy Company brands Products introduced in 1975