Ambrosia®

For more than 100 years, the Ambrosia brand has earned a reputation as the most complete line of quality chocolate products for the bakery, confectionery, cereals, ice cream, dairy, foodservice and retail private-label markets in North America. Commercial customers — from major food processors to chefs — rely on Ambrosia chocolates for high-quality, great-tasting chocolates. ADM works with customers from formulation to finished product to determine the perfect Ambrosia product for every application.

The Ambrosia Chocolate Company, founded by Otto J. Schoenleber, opened for business in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, in 1894. The company felt the name “Ambrosia” was appropriate as Swedish scientist Linnaeus identified the cocoa tree as “food of the gods.” Applied to chocolate and cocoa, Ambrosia would mean not only that a food that was appetizing and delicious, but also of the finest quality.

The company continued to grow and in just 20 years was a major producer in the American chocolate and cocoa industry. Production and laboratory facilities continued to expand, even in spite of the Great Depression. The company supplied cocoa and chocolate to U.S. armed forces in both world wars.

In 1964 W.R. Grace & Co. took over Ambrosia Chocolate Company as part of its Chocolate and Confectionery Division. In 1982, Ambrosia established a Consumer Products Division to meet the expanding need for baking chips sold through supermarkets. Today Ambrosia is the largest supplier of private label baking chips. In 1988, the company formed a Foodservice Division to serve as a one-stop vendor for this important industry.

Change continued in 1988 with the forming of Grace Cocoa. Joining Ambrosia was de Zaan Cocoa of the Netherlands. Merckens Chocolate joined the Grace Cocoa family in 1990 and Ambrosia Chocolate Ltd. was established in 1991. In 1997, ADM acquired Grace Cocoa and changed its name to ADM Cocoa.

Over the past 20 years, the company has opened two new state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities—in Milwaukee, Wis., in 1992, and Hazelton, Pa., in 2009. The 46 451-square-meter (500,000-square-foot) Hazelton facility produces chocolates, compounds, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and cocoa powder.