Schönwald – Today marks the 77th anniversary of the death of Emil Julius Brach. Born on May 11, 1859 in Schönwald, the son of Martin and Wilhelmina Brach, the family emigrated to Burlington in 1866, where Brach attended the Burlington Business College and then ran a restaurant with a pastry shop.
In 1880 Emil Brach moved to Chicago. He began his career in a candy factory and quickly worked his way up to become a wealthy salesman. With his savings of $15,000, he invested in a failed candy factory in 1904 and founded Brach’s Confections. His vision and the quality of his sweets soon led to success.
His son Frank, then only 14 years old, played a crucial role and secured important customers such as Siegel, Cooper & Co. and AM Rothschild & Company Store. By 1918, the company was producing 1,000 tons of candy per week. A groundbreaking step was Brach’s establishment of the first food safety laboratory in 1913. This innovation ensured that all ingredients and products were scientifically tested to guarantee the highest purity.
The construction of the largest candy factory in Chicago in 1922 created thousands of jobs. During World War II, Brach manufactured much of the candy for military rations, although the founder’s German heritage was downplayed during this time. After retiring from active business in 1924, Brach moved to Florida, but remained a central figure in the company’s marketing strategy. Emil Brach died on October 29, 1947 in the USA.
