Nov 19, 2014
Charlotte Clary and Beverly Vines-Haines founded Ice Chips Candy
in 2009. At that time they were already running their own company
making natural salves and ointments for skin problems. They wanted
a safe and natural xylitol candy for their families, especially
their combined thirty-seven grandchildren. Additionally, Ice Chips
were a great fit for their existing customer base and their
philosophies.
The Ice Chips Candy was an immediate hit and most of their stores
were soon placing repeat orders monthly. Ice Chips quickly caught
several people’s attention, including a young salesman who saw
unlimited potential and he called them. In a single year he took
them from 24 stores to almost a thousand and it is at that point
they caught the attention of the ABC smash hit, Shark Tank.
These two grandmothers and longtime friends became something of a
phenomenon once they appeared on the show. Sales skyrocketed.
People wanted to try every one of the eighteen (soon to nineteen)
Ice Chip flavors. While Ice Chips Candy is not the first business
venture the two have shared it is certainly the most
successful.