Ohio secretary of state visits local candy business

MEDINA — Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is best known statewide as the chief election official. But there is another faction of his job, as he registers business entities and files any paperwork if one decides to incorporate, or form a partnership or LLC. Through that side of his position, he has started the Ohio Business Spotlight, designed to highlight strong businesses that can serve as examples of Ohio's economic potential. LaRose and his staff visited McJak Candy Co., 1087 Branch Road, on Wednesday. He said he came away impressed with the successful business that sells confectionery products using homemade recipes, ingredients and traditional cooking methods. McJak is a family-owned candy factory that was founded by Karen McCurdy and Bill Lonjak in 1982. Larry Johns and his wife, Francine, purchased the company in 2000 and has added onto the business. Johns showed LaRose and his staff around his 65,000-square-foot facility, which makes fudge, cotton candy, lollipops and popcorn. The facility has been featured on CNN, "Today," the Food Network and numerous publications. LaRose said he tries to feature a local business every month to show how important small businesses are to Ohio's economy. "It's a story worth telling," he said. A video will be posted on his website and on social media. "You can tell the people that work here are bringing smiles to the faces of children everyday," LaRose said. "They put out a high-quality product here in Medina, Ohio. "People don't realize it's in their own backyard. I also want to encourage people to buy local." It was his regional liaison, Alex Pavloff, that picked the candy company to spotlight this month. "This is the fun part of my job," LaRose said. Johns said his company is one of the best-kept secrets in Medina County. He employs 44 full-time employees and five or six temps. Lollipops, especially cotton candy flavor, is by far his best seller. It represents 30 percent of his total revenues. He ships his confectionery all over the U.S. and Canada, as well as China and Israel, which prints its labels in Hebrew. Contact reporter Bob Finnan at (330) 721-4049 or rfinnan@medina-gazette.com.