Some businesses claim to be family-owned to promote a friendly, wholesome image. At Dorothy Cox's Chocolates our Fairhaven, Mass-based company has been owned and operated by members of the Cox Family since 1928, with Francis Cox, Jr., who serves as president, working along with his parents, wife, brother, sisiter, sister-in-law and oftentimes, his children, nieces and nephew.

     Known primarily for our panned items and Buttercrunch, the latter of which hasn't changed much since the early days of the business, our company remains a hands-on operation. Buttercrunch is one of the products we still do by hand using only quality ingredients and cooking in copper kettles, pouring the toffee center on a cutting table and cut into 2 inch squares.

     The toffee center is taken to enrober for chocolate covering in Milk Dark or White gourmet chocolates and slivered almonds are sprinkled on top. The start of the Company dates back to when Dorothy Cox opened her first store in 1928. She made all the candy and ice cream on her own, initially starting out with recipes from a Fannie Farmer cook book. Since she never had any children, Dorothy's brother Joe took over the company when she died. The country was in the middle of World War Two at the time Joe worked making torpedoes during the day, leaving his wife to run the store while he made ice cream at night.

     In 1957 the business was moved to it's current location in Fairhaven after a fire destroyed much of the business just three years after being damaged by Hurricane Carol. Joe's son Francis Cox Sr. and his wife Geraldine, took over the company when Joe retired in 1976 and added 5,000 square ft. The couple spent many hours working the retail store and factory before Joe retired, however. Francis And Gerry's children started helping in the company as they grew up, with Fran Jr. and Timothy worked in the factory while still in high school.

     Both attened a vocational school that allowed them to focus on culinary studies, a background that helps them with their roles in the company today. Today the next generation has started as Fran jr. son Mathew has also graduated from the same vocational school from the culinary arts department and joined them working in the factory. Fran and Gery's daughter Dorothy named after her great-aunt Dorothy, currently runs the retail store, while Fran jr's wife Shirley works in the office, and Tim's wife Tina works in production.

     Francis Jr. became the third -generation president of the company and in 1985 built an addition to our factory. And started an additional way of making candy. Which is called panning chocolates, is very different from making our usual chocolates. We do individual cranberries, malted milk balls, raisins, peanuts, almonds ect. We decided to try making a large varity of panned products ourself.

     So today we sell many kinds of your favorite gourmet chocolatesin our retail store, web site and wholesale all over the country. And more will happen with our 4th generation still joining us with their special touches to our company. Fran jr. second son will graduate this year from machine tech. from the same vocatioal high school and third son son from diesel engineering next year. As Dorothy's Daughter, Timothy and Tina's two children get older the history of Dorothy Cox's Chocolates will go on.