Jul 17, 2013 1 min read

General Industries of Charleroi held a ground breaking Monday for Gardners Candies for a warehouse expansion project in Tyrone.

General Industries said a larger manufacturing area will provide the additional space needed for the facility to operate more efficiently, while increasing production necessary to meet the growing demand of Gardner’s chocolate products. The expansion will attach to the existing 50,000-square-foot manufacturing plant, and is projected to create a number of new job opportunities.

Gardners, which is owned by Sarris Candies of Canonsburg, was founded in 1897. The company was founded by 16 year-old James “Pike” Gardner.

The company grew over the years by expanding its product line and now has 14 retail stores including 12 in Pennsylvania and two in Maryland.