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Making America a little sweeter since 1913

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A timeline of notable events in our 110 years of operations.

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1913

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In 1913, George W. Arndt and his wife purchased a grocery store in downtown Newton, Ill. Within a year, that business transitioned into Arndt’s Variety Store, offering goods for 5, 10 and 25 cents.

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1947

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George continued to grow the business to include locations in the nearby communities of Greenup and Casey, Ill. In 1947, his son Bill returned from service with the US Navy in WWII and purchased the chain of stores.

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1963

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Bill’s son Tony, current owner, remembers selling chocolates at Arndt’s for 69 cents per pound as his first job in the 1950s. Arndt’s celebrated 50 years of business in 1963.

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1970

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After his own service in the US Navy, Tony returned to Newton and in 1970 assumed ownership of the business. Together, Tony and Bill further expanded the chain, opening Arndt’s locations in Tuscola, Arthur and Shelbyville, Ill.

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1985

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Tony continually brought offerings to Arndt’s that struck a chord with the community. Arndt’s began making their own fudge in the mid-1980s, providing a variety of flavors. Customers could select fudge from a candy counter, sampling the day’s varieties to ensure they picked the best option.

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1990

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In the 1990s, Arndt’s began distributing Amish jellies and jams. They traveled between Newton and Arthur, restocking that location and returning to Newton with jar goods from various Amish family businesses on the way.

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2018

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Eventually the wholesale business for fudge and Amish goods expanded to the point that Arndt’s decided to close the retail frontage of the store in December 2017 atter 104 years of serving customers on the south side of the square in Newton, Ill.

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2023

110 years!

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Today Arndt’s reaches customers worldwide, sending out hundreds of orders daily with sales on Amazon and other retail sites, including their own fudgery.com. They currently offer over 75 flavors of fudge with chocolate and peanut butter the most popular flavors. Over 820 tons of fudge has been made in their Newton kitchen along with many batches of nut brittles. Arndt’s sells Amish candy, as well as BBQ sauces, pie fillings, jams, jellies, popcorns and salsas. Their wholesale business continues to expand with Arndt’s products sold across the country.

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