Montrose Business Times
Enstrom Candies, a nearly century-old family-owned confectionary company has completed construction on a new 50,000-square-foot expansion facility in Grand Junction.
The new facility, located at the corner of 28 Road and Grand Avenue, was completed in May after construction began in December 2024. The company said in a release that it is now moving inventory and transitioning employees into the building, with operations expected to begin as early as this fall.
The expansion will house Enstrom’s warehouse and distribution operations along with office space for shipping, creative, marketing and design teams.
Founded in Grand Junction in 1929, Enstrom is best known for its almond toffee and handcrafted chocolates. The company now ships products to customers in all 50 states and more than 30 countries. Its products are sold through national retailers including Costco, Dillard’s, QVC and Michaels, as well as independent specialty stores.
“As part of the fourth generation, we’re excited about what this facility allows us to do,” Jim Simons, vice president of sales and co-owner, said in a statement. “We’ve needed additional space for more than a decade, and this helps us better support our operations as we continue serving customers across the country and around the world.”
Simons said the additional space will improve operational efficiency while also creating room for future production growth at the company’s downtown Grand Junction facilities.
In 2022, the company opened a retail store in Montrose after reaching an agreement to occupy part of the former Russell Stover Chocolates outlet building on Townsend Avenue. At the time, company leaders said the departure of Russell Stover from Montrose created an opportunity to establish an Enstrom presence in a market where the company had previously struggled to compete against factory-outlet pricing.
“We think an Enstrom store with toffee and ice cream and all of our fine confections will be a good fit for the folks in Montrose,” Simons said when the location was announced.
Today, Enstrom operates retail locations in Grand Junction, Montrose, Cherry Creek, Arvada and a seasonal store at Park Meadows.
Despite the new facility, company officials emphasized that Enstrom’s retail store, candy kitchens and corporate offices will remain in downtown Grand Junction.
“We’ve needed additional space for more than a decade,” Simons said. “Beyond increasing efficiency in our operations and distribution, this expansion gives us the capacity to grow production in our downtown facilities with the additional space now available.”
Members of the fourth generation of the Enstrom family said they plan to continue growing the business in Grand Junction, where it was founded nearly 100 years ago.
