Gayle’s Chocolates to relocate after three decades in Michigan
The handcrafted chocolate company’s current facility, which contains a flagship retail store on its first floor and a production space on the second floor, will close on May 13, 2018, according to the owner Gayle Harte.
Gayle’s Chocolates produces 75,000 pounds of chocolate per year on average and has an annual revenue of a little over a million dollars, said Harte.
“We manufacture high-end and all-natural products,” she said. “We started with truffles, and we expanded into Easter bunnies. We also do a lot of corporate gifts… Because we’re small, we’re able to customize things for our customers so they don’t have to pick something out of a template.”
Not an end to regional business
Gayle said she understands that many people will miss her store because Gayle’s Chocolates has been around for a long time, but the relocation does not mean an end to its business in the region.
“Our website will stay, and there will be [other retailers] that carry our products. So it will still be available,” she said.
Gayle also mentioned that living in a warmer area with her husband is the main reason for the move. “It is a difficult decision. I don’t want to give up the business, so I decided to take it with me,” she said.
“Right now, we have 20 full- and part-time employees. We’ll help some of them relocate, and some others will be retiring.”
Gayle added the 3,500-square-foot facility in Arizona, where Gayle’s Chocolates is made, will move its production and retail space to a facility which is currently under construction. The relocation is expected to be completed by September 2018.
