The man who guided his debt-burdened family-owned business, Wolfgang Candy Co., through bankruptcy and back to solid financial ground is leaving his post as company president and CEO.
Ben McGlaughlin will resign effective Dec. 31, the Wolfgang company announced Friday in a statement.
McGlaughlin, 48, the great-grandson of Wolfgang’s founders, has served as CEO for eight years.
As part of the transition, planned internally for almost a year, McGlaughlin will retain his seat on Wolfgang’s board of directors and also his ownership stake in the business. He also will “provide transition support,” the company said in a statement.
McGlaughlin, a York resident, guided the now-95-year-old company, one of the country’s oldest family-owned and operated confection companies, through a difficult financial time brought about by changes in the confections industry.
But, led by McGlaughlin, Wolfgang has developed multiple product lines and has seen improved sales under the ownership of the Stillman Family Businesses, which purchased the business for $1 million after the company filed for bankruptcy in 2012.
Based in North York borough, the company recently bought and began operations at a manufacturing facility in Loganville in southern York Company.
Wolfgang manufactures its own retail brand labels, including Farmer’s Fair, Special Reserve Bars, Latimer St. Bakery Truffle Cookies, Classic Fountain Soda Flavors, Greek Style Yogurt Treats and licensed Penn State pretzels.
Mike Stillman, chairman of the board and leader of the group that bought Wolfgang, will assume the role of CEO and Sam Miller, currently Wolfgang’s chief operating officer, will become president effective Jan. 1.
Stillman said McGlaughlin “led us through some very challenging times, and has been instrumental in forging the customer relationships that have driven our recent growth and have poised us for future long-term success.”
