Thomas Scheiman bought Bag-A-Sweet Candy Co. in 1982, eventually changing its name to b.a. “It was a scary move,” says Scheiman, who started with just four employees and now employs 58. “I had a really good job and all the perks. But at one time I opened 11 candy stores over 10 years - primarily in shopping malls - when I was really aggressive. When I bought this 5-acre property in 2012, I had no debt. And our last five years have been phenomenal.” But if I can’t pay for it, I don’t do it. Scheiman moved his original operation from nearby Brooklyn, Ohio, to a $3.5 million complex he opened in 2015. The retail-and-warehouse space is a bare-bones interior filled with the sort of industrial shelving found at big-box home improvement stores. But the stacks of vibrant candy boxes transform the space into a kaleidoscope of hues. There’s also a 30-foot-long display of clear bins filled with jelly beans, as well as oversize lollipop statues, M&M characters the size of toddlers and a beautifully restored 1932 Ford truck that once delivered candy. The adjoining Sweeties Soda Shoppe opened earlier this year with a delightful farm-like feel that includes sliding barn doors, chicken-coop lighting and tractor seats on milk-can stools. There’s also Sweeties Golfland, which includes two 18-hole mini golf courses, a 5,000-gallon koi pond and a large gazebo that seats 40. Scheiman loves visiting with families - often second- and third-generation customers who visit to grab an ice cream cone, play a round of mini golf and, of course, scour the store aisles for their favorite treats. Inside his office, which is filled with toy truck models with candy logos on their sides, Scheiman is all business. The retail part of his company is a success. So is his online store, which operates under the name Groovy Candies. But it’s the wholesale distribution division that pays the bills.
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