Ferndale Confectionary is the company behind well-known brands like JOLS®, JILA® mints, SLIM FRUITS®, LICORETTE®, and JiBBA® jellybeans. Based in Ballarat, Victoria, Ferndale has grown into a global provider of guilt-free sweets, distributing products throughout Asia, the Middle East, South Africa, the UK, and the USA.
Ferndale Confectionary General Manager Jarrod Edward has since 2010 been looking after the business his father Bruce Edward founded. Jarrod has worked hard to build on Ferndale’s reputation for quality and innovation in order to maintain an edge in the competitive global confectionary market. The CEO Magazine spoke with Jarrod to gain an insight into the history, operations, and values of this remarkable Australian company.
The CEO Magazine: Could you please give our readers an overview of your professional background, and how you came to be general manager of your family business?
Jarrod: My first job after I left school was helping my father set up Ferndale Confectionary. When we started out, Ferndale was basically my old man looking after sales, marketing, and production, alongside my dear mother, who took care of the admin. I did a kind of unofficial apprenticeship under my father, Bruce. I shadowed him on a daily basis and learned the trade, whether that was fixing equipment, learning how to write procedures, understanding quality procedures, or dealing with HR issues.
