Chicago-Based Blommer Chocolate Exploring Potential Sale: Report

CHICAGO — Blommer Chocolate Company, a third-generation family business and one of the largest remaining independent chocolate manufacturers, could be going on the selling block. A sale of the Chicago-based company could fetch around $500 million for its family owners, according to a report by Bloomberg.

An investment bank has been asked by the company to evaluate a potential sale, and that possibility has put the chocolatier in the sights of private equity firms and at least one strategic buyer in Europe, the report stated. The company also is using the bank to explore other options not involving a sale, the report added.

Founded in 1939 by Henry Blommer Sr. and two brothers, the business has been growing at a time when its overall industry has been consolidating, according to Bloomberg. In 2016, Blommer bought a plant in Jinshan, China, for $40 million, and in May, it launched its Founders Reserve line, the report added.

"We are continuously looking at a variety of options that can accelerate our growth strategy given the tremendous global opportunities in our industry," CEO Peter Blommer told Bloomberg.

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