BUSINESS OVERVIEW
McCrea’s Candies was founded in 2009 by Jason McCrea, who was soon joined in the family business by his wife Kate. McCrea’s is a Boston-based candy company specializing in caramel. McCrea’s caramels are made from only real food ingredients, through an old-fashioned long cook process to maximize flavor—their Black Lava Sea Salt Caramel was awarded the prestigious Good Food Award in 2016. McCrae’s sells directly to customers, and wholesales to retailers across the country as well as to specialty food makers who use caramel as ingredients in their products. The company is located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boston, where the McCrea family also lives.
ROOTED IN COMMUNITY
For Jason and Kate, business and community are intertwined. “I think that’s part of our success, being able to be close by, being in our own community,” says Kate. The McCreas’ long-time neighbor, Head of Operations Jim LaFond-Lewis, rounds out the company’s leadership team, and most of their employees also live close by. The McCreas take their role as employers seriously. Some of their most valued employees began as high school students, and they describe the experience of workforce development as gratifying and humbling. “Give people a chance, communicate with them, have integrity with them, and they will do amazing things,” adds Jason. Through the Interise program, Jason and Kate were inspired to begin thinking seriously about a long-term plan to keep McCrea’s Candies running as a successful, community-oriented business in Hyde Park for many years to come.