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History
For more than a century, our family has been trusted to produce the finest taffy products. The company was originally owned by the three Malone brothers. Eventually, they parted ways and divided the company into three, with one part going to Bud Long. Bud and his wife, Frances, owned and operated the company for many years; however, they never had any children. So, when Bud passed in 1963, 50% of the company was left to his wife, and the remaining 50% was left to Mike Sr., who had been working for Bud since 1951 at the age of 17. In 1966, Frances passed, leaving the other 50% to Mike Sr. and his wife, Vera.
In these days, the company was based in Southern Illinois. However, over the years, Mike Sr. and Vera noticed the Mississippi State Fair growing into a booming event. So, they decided to make some changes. In 1971, they picked up the life they knew and moved their company and family to Jackson, Mississippi. At the time, their children—Gina, age four, and Mike, age two—were ready for anything. In the years that followed, Mike Sr. and Vera worked tirelessly to build Malone’s into the company it is today.
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In January 2003, our taffy business was unfortunate to lose a good man. Mike Sr. could always be spotted on the corner of the taffy booth, a huge smile on his face… unless it was raining! So, in 2004, after 38 years of ownership, Vera decided to hang up her traveling shoes and pass the company to Mike Jr.
As a fourth-generation taffy maker, Mike Jr. had some big footprints to follow. He continues to run the business and uphold our values just as his parents did. Perhaps someday, he’ll pass on the business to his three children, Mick, Madelyn, and Colten.
The Malone’s Candy Company family encourages you to come see us the next time we’re in your area. We love hearing from our customers—both young and old—about all their favorite memories of attending the fair and snacking on our one-of-a-kind taffy!