Oliver's Candies
Video: 30th Annual Decision Makers Ag Tour visits local wineries and cideries
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For the 30th year in a row, the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce, along with Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Genesee County Farm Bureau, and the Soil & Water Conservation District conducted the Decision Makers Ag Tour.
The tour started off at the fairgrounds with a talk by Bill Schreiber, CEO of O-AT-KA Milk Products Co-Operative Inc. Then the group visited Autumn Moon Farm Winery, Black Creek Cidery, and Sweet Life Country Store, which included representatives from Circle B Winery.
Landmark Society Awards, Oliver's Candies, Adaptive Re-use
Award text:
Oliver's Candies is a Batavia and Genesee County institution, has been making candy and confections since 1932. It is a destination for many folks from the area and from far away. Over the last few years, cramped conditions at the Batavia operation sent co-owner Jeremy Liles searching for a solution to the problem.
"We've been busting at the seams in Batavia for a couple of years now and we've talked about building onto the existing building (in Batavia)," Oliver's co-owner and Vice President Jeremy Liles said. "We looked at expanding at Main Street location, but the Tonawanda Creek was problematic and the option was just too expensive."
Liles said, "We didn't choose Elba, Elba chose us."
Oliver’s owned commercial properties in several locations in Genesee County. They looked at property in Le Roy and Corfu, but the drive time didn't work. The Elba option was only a six-minute commute from Batavia, and although it required an extensive overhaul, Liles said they acted quickly to seize the opportunity.
"It called to us, and we acted fast," he said. "It had a cute barn for the store, loading docks, smooth concrete. We converted the inside; insulated it; added central heat and air-conditioning, put in steel walls that are easy to clean, new hoods for the ovens. Redid the roofs, which were pretty worn. It's nice."
The structure was built as a warehouse around 1920; it has served as a produce stand and an ice cream stand and a barn sale site.
The conversion of an old and long unused warehouse presented lots of challenges. Liles said that the building cost "more than I ever wanted to pay" but the location was perfect for the growth potential of the candy operation.
"It's very scary -- I've got to sell a lot of candy now," Liles said. "It's a huge change, huge growth, but a lot of opportunities there."
Liles said they are providing a large catalog company with private-label candies and are growing sales in Virginia, North and South Carolina, and are looking at an opportunity in Georgia.
Liles said "I love doing all this. It's fun, exciting but also very scary."
The Landmark Society of Genesee County presents the 2019 Adaptive Re-use Award to Oliver’s Candies.
Video: The Easter Bunny visits Oliver's Candies
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Santa Day is Saturday at Oliver's Candies, will help support Habitat for Humanity
Press release:
Habitat for Humanity of Genesee County teams up with Oliver’s Candies, located at 211 W. Main St. in Batavia, for Santa Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17.
Come visit Santa, shop for sweets and enjoy a petting zoo! There will also be hot dogs for sale! A hot dog, bag of chips and a soda can be purchased for $3.
You can also help build Habitat’s next home by “Sponsoring a Stud.” Sign your name or write a message on a 2 in. x 4 in. for a donation of $1 and it will be added to Habitat’s current project at 6 Manhattan Ave. in the City of Batavia.
All purchases and donations benefit Habitat’s mission to provide decent, affordable housing to families in the community. As always, Habitat thanks you for your support.
Photo: Oliver's celebrates new candy shop in Elba
Jeremy Liles, owner of Oliver's Candies, with the help of his family and employees, made the company's new production facility in Elba today official with a ribbon cutting.
Oliver's hosted two days of open houses in the candy factory and the satallite candy and ice cream shop on Main Street, Elba. Liles moved production from the Main and Oak location in Batavia, so the business could expand, while keeping the store in Batavia. That store will also expand now that candy production has been moved to Elba.
Previously: Oliver's Candies to triple its manufacturing capacity by moving kitchen to Elba
