HARIBO GmbH & Co. KG · Bonn Germany

Gelatin may not seem like a very stable base, but it's the foundation of HARIBO's best-loved goodie, the gummi bear. HARIBO's Gold-Bear candies begat a myriad of chewy shapes and made it Europe's largest confectioner. In addition to its HARIBO gummi and licorice treats, the company's brands include Maoam (fruit candies), Dulcia (marshmallow confections), Bären-Schmidt brand spruchherzen (cookies decorated with icing messages), and, under license, PEZ (and its famous dispensers). Acquisitions of smaller confectioners have spread the company's manufacturing base across Europe; it exports to more than 105 countries around the globe. Brothers Hans and Paul Reigel run the company their parents founded in 1920. To read the full description, subscribe now.