In 1981, Frank E. Crail opened his first Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store. Today that company has 323 franchise locations around the world. Exec investigates.
Written by Ian Armitage and Produced by Pat Harlow
Incorporated in 1982, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is an international franchiser, confectionery manufacturer and retail operator in the US, Canada and, remarkably, the UAE.
The company typically produces around 300 premium chocolate candies and other confectionery products and revenues are derived from three principal sources – sales to franchisees; the collection of initial franchise fees and royalties from franchisees’ sales; and sales at company-owned stores.
Rocky Mountain’s co-founder Mr. Franklin E. Crail created the first Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store in May 1981, and he tells ExecUS more about the extraordinary products it markets: “We sell many varieties of clusters, caramels, creams, mints and truffles,” he says.
“During the Christmas, Easter and Valentine's Day holiday seasons, we may make as many as 100 additional items.”
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory continually strives to offer new confectionery products in order to maintain the excitement and appeal of its products.
Development
66 year-old Crail has served as President and a Director of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory since 1982, and he was elected Chairman of the Board in March 1986. Prior to founding the company, he was co-founder and president of CNI Data Processing, Inc, a software firm which developed automated billing systems for the cable television industry.
“I wanted to settle down and create a family business,” Frank explains. “I think I’ve done much more than that!”
Frank’s originally modest ambition was to raise his family in a quiet, small town environment. He didn’t have a plan to support this, so when he eventually settled on Durango, Colorado, he canvassed the town’s local residents and merchants to figure out the best way to achieve his dream.
“Looking back, I had a choice between opening either a car wash or a chocolate shop,” he chuckles. “I definitely think I made the right choice...”
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