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Company History
 From the beginning of our history, to the present, World's Finest® Chocolate has continuously built on the latest innovations in chocolate manufacturing technology and has sought to develop unique blendings of our premium chocolate with the best ingredients obtainable.
Our Company Timeline
1918 - Ed Opler, Sr. joins his brothers' cocoa business in New York.
1922 - Ed Opler, Sr. establishes E&A Opler Co., a cocoa packaging company.
1939 - Ed Opler, Sr. sells Siren Mills and starts Cook® Chocolate Company, Chicago.
1944 - Cook® Chocolate Company joins the Chocolate Manufacturers Association (CMA).
1949 - Chocolate product fund raising begins with the World's Finest® milk chocolate with almond bar.
1950 - World's Finest® becomes a sales division of Cook Chocolate Co.
1951 - World's Finest® introduces Continental® Almonds.
1956 - Trademark, World's Finest® is registered in U.S. Patent Office.
1958 - World's Finest® begins manufacturing and sales operations in Campbellford, Ontario, Canada.
1963 - World's Finest® introduces Imperial™ Almonds.
1972 - World's Finest® Chocolate, Inc. becomes the corporate name of the company.
1973 - World's Finest® chocolate bar package design registered in Patent Office.
1975 - World's Finest® establishes its own experimental cocoa plantation on St. Lucia, West Indies.
1979 - World's Finest® introduces Mint Meltaways®.
1985 - World's Finest® moves into its 500,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art factory in Chicago.
1994 - World's Finest® introduces its most complete line of gift products for fund raising and corporate gifts.
1999 - World's Finest® celebrates 50 years in Fund Raising with over five billion bars sold, and is proud to be one of only eleven chocolate manufacturers in the U.S.
2000 - World's Finest® partners with QSP®, the fundraising division of Readers Digest® to broaden the distribution of World's Finest Chocolate fundraising products. It also makes its entrance into the internet, retail, and food gift markets.
2002 - World's Finest® opens its second outlet store, located in Orland Hills, IL.
2003 - World's Finest® introduces its first branded retail product line.
2005 - World's Finest® updates its corporate logo, launches a new holiday retail lineup, and new fundraising packaging.
2006 - World's Finest® Purchases Queen Anne® Candy brand and brings cordial cherry production to its Chicago plant.
2008 - World's Finest® Chocolate's partnership with QSP® is no longer exclusive.
At present, World's Finest® continues to be the leading manufacturer of chocolate products for the fundraising industry. Its premium chocolates are also sold in:
•Retail Stores
•World's Finest® Catalogs
•Corporate gift programs
•Gift basket programs
•World's Finest® website
•World's Finest® outlet stores in Illinois
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