Join Paul Garvey, owner of Wilmar Chocolates in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin to discover exactly why the family-owned chocolate company has maintained a fond following for more than 60 years.
Wilmar Chocolates is also a discreet example of why businesses in Appleton and around the Fox Cities region are thriving.
![Paul Garvey, owner of Wilmar Chocolates in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/60df9a2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4836x4000+0+0/resize/880x728!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fkcbx%2Ffiles%2F201805%2FIMG_0764_0.jpg)
You’d never guess from looking in the window that this family business employs more than 40 workers, and does a land office business during holidays and especially Valentines Day.
The company also quietly maintains a thriving on-line order business with Wilmar Chocolate fans from around America.
![Another batch of custom-crafted-made-to-order chocolate bars go through the final stage of production at Wilmar Chocolates in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2eab93c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4000x5630+0+0/resize/880x1239!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fkcbx%2Ffiles%2F201805%2FIMG_0762.jpg)
The Appleton, Wisconsin-based chocolate business also ships worldwide with a fond following in China and Russia.
Wilmar Chocolates is Wisconsin’s unwitting sweet ambassador of peace to the world.
![Wilmar Chocolates logo](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a648ffd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/390x176+0+0/resize/880x397!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fkcbx%2Ffiles%2F201805%2Fwilmar_choc_logo.jpg)
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