Long-Term Partnership Driven by Service and Hands-On Support

Customer Profile

Landies Candies, based in Buffalo, New York, is a premium chocolate manufacturer known for its gourmet confections, including chocolate-covered filled pretzels, which are sold online and to retailers nationwide. With nearly a century of experience and a reputation for high-quality products, Landies Candies relies on suppliers who meet its service and packaging needs without compromise.

Business Situation

After more than 20 years with a packaging supplier, Landies Candies began facing a major problem. Their longtime partner shifted to a 100% commission-based sales model. This change had a severe impact on service quality, as the sales representative became hurried and less responsive, prioritizing quick sales over customer support.

“The guy could barely give me the time of day because he had to hustle to the next place,” said Larry Szrama, president and CEO of Landies Candies.

Projects that once received dedicated attention were now left to Landies to manage alone. “It put more work on me,” Szrama noted. “He didn’t want to dive into our particular needs. He just wanted the PO.”

The lack of reliable service created a need for a partner that could actively collaborate on packaging designs and promptly fulfill orders, ensuring continuity and customer satisfaction.

Solution

A shift in service from its previous supplier led Larry Szrama to seek a new packaging partner that could offer both reliability and service. After considering a few options, he chose Jamestown Container Companies (JCC). “Kevin seemed like the real deal. I could tell he was going to service us properly.”

The two companies have been working together for 15 years. Over this time, the relationship has grown and evolved. Landies Candies began sourcing standard RSC (regular slotted carton) master cases and retail gift boxes from JCC. The partnership has expanded into more complex packaging, including point-of-purchase (POP)displays for retail programs. With JCC’s help, the transition was seamless.

“The service has always been good from Jamestown,” Szrama said. “We’ve never been out of boxes.” Even when Landies needs to rush an order, JCC responds. “I’ll go to Kevin and say, ‘I know it’s a two-week lead time, but can you get it to us sooner?’ They always come through.”

JCC’s structural design capabilities have been another major benefit. Landies has its own graphic design team but relies on JCC for engineering structural solutions for shipping cartons, retail packaging, and display units. “We’ll say we need to fit 50 of these into a shipper, and Kevin comes back with samples. If it’s not right, we rework it together, and he brings more samples. Their design team has come up with some really creative ideas—things I think are out-of-the-box that I wouldn’t have thought of.”

“If you’ve got service, good pricing, quality, and it’s on time—what more can you ask for? That’s a pretty good deal.” — Larry Szrama, Landies Candies

Customer Benefits

  • Enhanced Service and Quality: The proactive engagement from JCC eliminated previous service frustrations, allowing Landies Candies to focus on its core
    business.
  • Reliable Delivery: Prompt and dependable deliveries ensure Landies Candies never experience packaging shortages and maintain smooth operations
  • Structural Design Expertise: JCC brings packaging concepts to life with smart, functional design and an iterative sampling process that simplifies decision-making and eliminates guesswork.