Plyley's History

Our History

Our history begins in the year 1917. Milo and Rilla Plyley moved to LaGrange, Indiana from Nappanee, Indiana after purchasing the old Boshinger store. Rilla was always known as an expert candy maker in her family and soon began to sell her tasty concoctions.

Plyley's, originally started as a candy and soda fountain, became a famous stop to travelers through the area. Before the Indiana Toll Road and I-69 were built, US 20 and State Road 9 were the most popular routes through Indiana for travelers heading to Chicago or Indianapolis. They were fortunate enough to be located just off the intersection of these often traveled roads. "We were open till 10 p.m. weekdays and often till midnight on weekends." Jack Plyley remembers. Often, people were literally lined up around the corner waiting to be served with candy or soda fountain treats, and to take some home as well. While his parents served customers, Jack would work in the back producing more of the popular confections.

This rigorous schedule was exhausting, and as Jack grew older, he looked for other ways to continue the business his grandparents had started. Gone were the travelers, the nine gas stations, and the four hotels that had dotted the town. Jack finally persuaded his parents that wholesaling was the route for Plyley's. Following his father's death in 1965, he took the reins and built the company into a very efficient and sizeable operation.

In 1971, Plyley's Candy Company moved into a newly built factory only a few short blocks away from the small, main street store in which they started. "Today, candymaking has grown from an art to a science," Jack explains. Even with the advances in the candymaking industry, Plyley's still continues to rely on the hands-on approach to maintain their equipment precisely and to control the cooking process by experience, touch, and instinct. On a hard candy production day, 20 to 30 batches of 80 pounds each will be made in an average day.

If you are ever in the area, please take a few moments to stop in and see the production of these wonderful confections. Visitor's are welcome to watch the candy-making in a real-life setting. After that, you may want to stroll into the outlet shop to buy some to take home. Touring the Plyley factory is an experience you, and your nose won't soon forget.