The Asher's Story

Taste and tradition since 1892

A Scottish farm boy hailing from Ontario, Canada, Chester A. Asher had a mind for business and a passion for confections. He worked for a candy factory in Boston briefly, before he decided to break out on his own as a confectioner. In 1892, he founded the Asher’s candy making business in Center City Philadelphia. Within a few years, he moved the successful company to Philadelphia’s historic Germantown section. In the early years, the staff of six also made maple syrup, jams and jellies, and did some canning. The store even included baked items and ice cream – a variety of products, but one shared commitment to quality and taste.

The original recipes (many of which are still used today) were written by Chester himself on the back of the sugar bags! Passersby could gaze at the original storefront window where chocolate collections and "sweets from all over the world" including European style bonbons and rare candies were displayed.

Another Asher generation

Over the years, as the Asher family grew, so did the family business. Chester’s expertise was passed onto the second generation – his four sons who took over the business and saw it through very difficult economic times. John Asher, Sr. remained at the company’s helm until his death in 1966, when his sons of the third generation, John, Jr. (Jack) and Robert (Bob), found themselves responsible for maintaining the family-owned company. Jack applied his candy-making experience to run production and Bob continued with sales.

With the increased use of air conditioning in stores, homes and automobiles, chocolates were becoming more popular as a year-round candy. To better meet customer demand, Jack and Bob decided to shift their focus away from some of their older mainstay products, such as crystallized bonbons and handmade coconut fruits, which were declining in popularity.

Asher’s also continued to focus on innovation. With one 10’ enrober (a special machine that bathes almost any type of center in chocolate) and a loyal crew of hand coaters, Asher’s increased the company’s product offering of chocolates. At this time, the company also introduced its signature line of sugar-free chocolates.

The business boomed and to accommodate increases in customer demand, Asher’s purchased neighboring buildings (including a movie theater, a small department store, and a restaurant) and converted them into candy-making facilities. The additional buildings were connected by breaking through walls and by enclosed conveyors crossing parking lots and streets.

Another generation, another expansion

By the 1980’s, Jack and Bob’s sons – David and Jeff – had joined the business, which continued to grow. It became apparent that by the 1990s the business would need more space. After renting an additional 24,000 square feet of warehouse space in Montgomeryville, a suburb of Philadelphia, for five years, the business was ready to expand again.

At that point, Asher’s purchased 31 acres of farmland in Souderton, Pennsylvania and built a 125,000 square feet factory, shipping center, executive offices, and retail store. In 1998, Asher’s moved into this state-of-the-art space, which now houses 15 enrobers, a large kitchen and a modern shell moulding plant. The Asher family continues to keep a watchful eye on growth. This new building has been designed to allow for future expansion of up to three times its current size quickly and easily. While the Souderton facility is home to the corporate headquarters, Asher’s Chocolates also operates a 100,000 square feet factory in Lewistown, PA (near Penn State’s Happy Valley) that produces specialty chocolates and moulded items.

While the continued success of the company depended on its ability to keep up with growth, the decision to move from Germantown to Souderton was not an easy one to make. Asher’s Chocolates had long been recognized as the pride of Philadelphia, serving neighbors gourmet confections for almost a century and the many loyal employees felt like family. To ease the transition, Asher’s coordinated three vans to provide transportation to help employees stay with the company after its move. While many of these employees have retired, there are still Asher’s employees who worked as part of that early team and remain in the factory today – and there is still a van that brings Asher’s employees 25 miles to and from the Germantown section of Philadelphia to the factory each day.

The tradition continues

The oldest continuously family owned and operated candy making company in the U.S., Asher’s Chocolates is currently under the direction of the fourth generation – David Asher, President and CEO; Jeff Asher, Vice President Sales and Marketing – with third generation (Bob and Jack) serving as co-Chairmen of the Board.

Asher’s success is due to the family’s reputation for making quality candy with the freshest and purest ingredients available. Attention to detail, close supervision and adherence to its century-old mission statement assure that quality is maintained through every process and with every product.

Everyone at Asher’s Chocolates is committed to continuing the tradition of producing fine quality chocolates. The company offers a wide selection of chocolates and other confections from Pecan Caramel Patties to its award-winning Chocolate Covered Pretzels and creamy Fudge. Accommodating customers’ needs, Asher’s also has the largest line of Sugar Free, Low Sodium Chocolates in the industry. Innovation and expansion remain at its core – so expect to see many new and exciting products as we continue into the next century. The future looks delicious!