Our History


History of McJak Candy

Where it all Began

In 1981, entrepreneur Karen McCurdy used treasured family recipes to make lollipops in her home kitchen and sell them at local markets. As demand for the treats began to grow, her neighbor Sue Lonjak started helping, and the two women along with their husbands formed M. L. McJak Corporation in April 1982.

A year later, the team rented a small building to allow larger scale production using copper kettles over burners. McJak continued to expand and began selling lollipops to fundraising groups to help them raise money. Customers loved the lollipops so much that they requested the team broaden into other types of candy. McJak was happy to oblige and started making fudge and other treats with their secret family recipes.

In 1992, a new candy factory was built to accommodate the need for more space and more production. In 2000, the founding partners retired and sold their business to Larry and Francine Johns with a promise that they would continue with the principles the company was built on: making top quality confectionary products at a fair price.