Finding aid for the Forbes Chocolate Company Records

History of the Forbes Chocolate Company

The Forbes Chocolate Company was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1901 by Benjamin P. Forbes (1873 - 1976). Forbes began his career in the chocolate industry selling cocoa for the Cleveland Chocolate Company in 1896. Two years later he started working as a salesman for Milton Hershey. He left Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to return to Cleveland and open his own cocoa packaging business in 1901 named the "Forbes Chocolate Company." This company initially purchased cocoa from Hershey.

In 1913, Forbes incorporated the business under the name "The Forbes Chocolate Company," and with new equipment the company was able to manufacture products directly from the cocoa bean. The company quickly became successful and continued its success throughout World War I. The company expanded rapidly and attracted new investors, but couldn't maintain growth. During 1920-1921 Forbes was forced to file for bankruptcy. The assets of the company were sold in cash to a local grocer who later closed the business.

Forbes continued to hold the state charter for "The Benjamin P. Forbes Company" even though his incorporated name "The Forbes Chocolate Company" was purchased when the company closed its bankruptcy case. Meanwhile, Forbes performed a variety of jobs that eventually brought him to Florida where he first tasted chocolate milk. The Suwanee Milk Company was using a watery syrup to create the beverage and Mr. Forbes told the owner that he could create a better product with a powdered chocolate.

In 1925 with three dollars invested by the Suwanee manager, Forbes began to develop a new chocolate powder. After tasting the improved chocolate milk, the Suwanee manager immediately ordered a ton of the chocolate mix. Forbes returned to Cleveland, borrowed money from a friend and space from a baker in his plant, and began to manufacture mass amounts of the chocolate product. He sold this chocolate to milk producers such as the Ohio Farmers Co-operative Milk Association of Cleveland and the Tampa Stock Farms Company of Tampa for five hundred dollars a ton, making a profit of two hundred dollars per ton. In 1926 he was continuing to work under the business title the "Benjamin P. Forbes Company," but sold the chocolate under the name "Forbes Chocolate."

As the company continued to grow, Forbes traveled around the world to buy the whole cocoa beans from Holland, South and Central America, and the West Indies. His powder was used as chocolate flavoring not only for milk but also for ice cream. His son, Benjamin F. Forbes (1914-2013), known as "Benj" entered the business in 1939. In 1976 Benjamin P. Forbes died at the age of 103. His son, Benj took over the company in 1976, when he was already at the retirement age.

In 1986, with a rapidly changing market place, Benj sold the company to the general manager, Darwin Geringer. He was able to adapt with the larger milk processing companies. In 2014, the company was still operating as a family business in Cleveland with Keith Geringer as president.

Scope and Content

The Forbes Chocolate Company Records, 1910-2008 and undated, consist of company magazines, correspondence, declaration of trust, financial records, party guest lists, industry histories, newspaper clippings, Ohio Historical Society Archives inventories, product labels and stock holders information.

This collection is of value to researchers studying the history and development of The Benjamin P. Forbes Company, commonly referred to as The Forbes Chocolate Company. Those seeking biographical information of company founder Benjamin P. Forbes will find this collection useful. The newspaper articles highlight the history of his life and the progress he made with the company. They also include many commemorative articles written at the time of his death. The magazines, entitled Facts and Figures, explain the development of the company. Also of interest will be the industry histories which highlight some of the investments made and the proposal for the company, the financial records and the declaration of trust.

Those interested in the development of the chocolate industry in the United States, especially chocolate milk or chocolate powder, will find this collection useful. The newspaper articles will be of importance here as they highlight not only Forbes' contribution but also the standard techniques used for creating the powder. The industry histories and the company magazines also contain information about the creation of cocoa powder from the bean.

Those interested in the development of small companies and the history of entrepreneurship will find this collection useful as well. Included are the Preliminary Prospectus of the Forbes Chocolate Company written for the investors soon after the company's incorporation. Much of the correspondence concerns the growth of the company, including proposals for incorporation of the company, and financial information sent out to investors. Also of interest will be the declaration of trust and the financial records.

This collection will be useful to researchers studying the history of business, industry, and entrepreneurship in Cleveland, Ohio, in the twentieth century.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions on Access

None.

The researcher should also consult PG 602 Forbes Chocolate Company Photographs.

All photographs have been removed to PG 602 Forbes Chocolate Company Photographs.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 5239 The Forbes Chocolate Company Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gifts of Benjamin F. Forbes in 2006-2010.

Processing Information

Processed by Molly Clark in 2014.

Detailed Description of The Collection