The wind chill in Escanaba was minus-4, but it seemed like a warm and friendly place. Especially when we met Mike Kobasic.
Sometimes compared to Willy Wonka, he owns the Sayklly’s candy factory, a company started by his grandfather 106 years ago.
"They located here from Canada," Kobasic said. "Why they didn't keep going south, I don't know," he said with tongue-in-cheek laughter.
It’s a good thing they didn’t, because Yoopers swear by their product, Kobasic said. "The quality level has always been very very good."
Rather than Oompa Loompas, this quality is ensured by loyal employees packing boxes of chocolate one by one. Valentine’s Day causes a huge rush of customers, of course, but it’s not the biggest holiday for Sayklly’s.
"Christmas, followed by Easter and then Valentines,” Kobasic said.
Doe that mean there isn't much love in the U.P?
“Oh, there's a lot of love”, Kobasic said laughing. "You see it on the 13th and 14th and the panic."
A conveyor belt with a waterfall of chocolate called an enrober is used to coat their products. They say you can coat just about anything with it and they do. For instance, Oreo cookies, caramels, fudge truffles, nougat and their signature products, Snappies, Yooper bars and peanut butter bars. The chocolate is melted down from huge block of it that come from the Ivory Coast.
The blend hasn’t changed in 30 years and it’s a silky smooth blend that is a hit in their stores, where Kobasic's cousin, Debbie Kirby, runs the retail side of things. Though her kids have gone to college, she’s happy to have raised them in the U.P.
“It's a great place to raise a family, and to have a store like ours," Kirby said.
When asked if she ever wished it was a little bit warmer, she replied, “Yes, I do. But we get outta town.”
The businesses' success and 106 years of chocolate hasn’t jaded the family. Kobasic said he never gets sick of it.
“Stress relief is chocolate!” Kobsic roared.
If you want to purchase Sayklly’s chocolates for Valentine’s Day or learn more about their long history in the U.P., go to Saykllys.com.
For more Made in Michigan stories, go to our Made in Michigan page.
