How Brian and Sally Krichbaum Saved a 100-Year-Old Chocolate Company

How do you save a 100-year-old company without losing the history that made people love it in the first place? In this episode of Ingleside Reviews: Innovators Unveiled, A.D. Edwards talks with Brian and Sally Krichbaum, the husband-and-wife owners of Gilbert Chocolates, about buying, preserving, and modernizing a beloved Jackson, Michigan chocolate company with more than a century of history. They share how they brought production back downtown, protected legacy recipes, upgraded old equipment with practical engineering, survived COVID, expanded retail and e-commerce, and learned what it means to be caretakers of a brand the community still holds close. What You’ll Learn How Brian and Sally Krichbaum became the owners of a historic chocolate company Why they see themselves as caretakers of Gilbert Chocolates, not just business owners How they balance century-old recipes with modern production improvements Why moving production back to downtown Jackson mattered to the community How e-commerce, rewards programs, DoorDash, and online ordering fit into a classic chocolate business Why avoiding debt can be one of the most important decisions for small business survival What married entrepreneurs can learn from running a company together Episode Highlights 02:31 – Brian and Sally share their professional paths before buying Gilbert Chocolates 04:20 – How Brian discovered the company while consulting for the previous owner 06:07 – The moment Sally realized they were really going to buy the business 08:06 – Taking over right before the Christmas season and learning retail through baptism by fire 10:48 – Why Brian and Sally see themselves as caretakers of Gilbert Chocolates’ legacy 13:08 – How Gilbert Chocolates’ history connects to Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan 14:42 – Preserving original recipes while using modern ingredient sourcing 17:26 – The 120-year-old marble tables and candy equipment still used in production 20:10 – How sugar-free, dairy-free, and specialty chocolates fit into the product mix 25:32 – Why moving the company back downtown was such a meaningful operational and community decision 28:46 – Renovating an abandoned historic building and carrying out coal dust by hand 32:08 – Rebuilding more in-house production, including cherry cordials and peanut butter cups 34:37 – Modern retail tools, including rewards programs, app ordering, and DoorDash delivery 36:02 – The real operational challenge of shipping chocolate through e-commerce 39:23 – How customer demand led Gilbert Chocolates to introduce Dubai chocolates 42:20 – The business decisions Brian and Sally are most proud of, including staying open during COVID 45:16 – How they balance marriage, work, and shared leadership 48:12 – Dividing responsibilities between operations, equipment, finance, hiring, and store management 51:05 – Community involvement, historical society events, chocolate fountains, and local partnerships 54:30 – Why they consider themselves brand stewards more than brand innovators 57:38 – The biggest advice for entrepreneurs buying or reviving a legacy business: avoid unnecessary debt 59:45 – Leadership lessons about matching actions with words and staying calm as the person others watch Meet the Guest Brian and Sally Krichbaum are the owners of Gilbert Chocolates, a historic chocolate company based in Jackson, Michigan. Since purchasing the company in 2013, they have worked to preserve its legacy, bring production back downtown, maintain century-old traditions, and grow the business through practical innovation, community connection, and careful stewardship. Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned Legacy business acquisition Historic brand stewardship Downtown revitalization Recipe preservation In-house candy production Equipment modernization PLC-controlled chocolate machinery Rewards programs E-commerce fulfillment DoorDash local delivery Customer-driven product development Dairy-free and sugar-free product options Community partnerships Wholesale and corporate gifting Chocolate tours Debt avoidance Practical engineering upgrades Family business leadership Closing Insight and CTA Brian and Sally’s story shows that preserving a legacy does not mean refusing to change. It means knowing what must never be lost, then improving the systems around it so the business can keep serving the next generation. For Gilbert Chocolates, that means honoring the recipes, the history, the community, and the craft while making careful decisions that keep the company strong. Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbook Subscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutube Get the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW Download the 7-Day Breakthrough Workbook: https://bit.ly/PDIRworkbookSubscribe for more conversations with builders, creators, founders, and leaders: https://bit.ly/PDIRyoutubeGet the companion book, Unveiling the Innovator in You!: https://amzn.to/4dmgsVW🎙️ Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@InglesideReviewsPodcast📩 Connect or inquire about interviews: [email protected] ✨ Keep innovating. Keep creating. Never stop unveiling the innovator in you.