In 1935 Clarence J. Dannemiller raised popcorn in his garden, then shelled it, packaged it in one-pound packages, and sold it door to door in Barberton and Doylestown, Ohio. Thus was born the C. J. Dannemiller Co. From that humble beginning, C. J. Dannemiller Co. has grown to become one of the major distributors of popcorn, nuts, seeds (like sunflower seeds), and concession supplies in the state of Ohio and throughout the country.
It was in 1939 that Dannemiller’s son William E. (Bill) Dannemiller joined his father in the business. By that time a fairly complete line of popcorn supplies (oil, bags, boxes and salt) had been added.
In the early 1940’s other concession supplies and equipment, such as sno-cones and cotton candy, were also sold. Later in the ‘40’s they started roasting and selling in-shell peanuts.
Over the years, a number of additions were built onto the original warehouse located in Doylestown, Ohio. Then, following a major fire in 1974, which leveled much of that warehouse space, a decision was made to rebuild the business in Norton, Ohio. In 1975, C. J. Dannemiller Co. moved to their present location at 5300 S Hametown Road, under the direction of Jim Dannemiller, Tom Dannemiller and Dick Troup.
Even though the Norton warehouse was thought to be large enough even for some future expansion, it was quickly outgrown. Two warehouse additions were added in the 1980’s to accommodate expanded business volume and product lines. These included a full line of raw and roasted edible nuts along with pre-popped popcorn and cheese corn.
The regional business continued to grow and expand during the 1990’s as the reach and customer base of the company continued to increase.
As the business grew, there was a realization that growth needed to happen again at the physical location, adding on an additional warehouse in 2003.
From 2010 through 2020, major changes were happening. Jim, Tom and Dick all moved toward retirement. The 4th generation of the family business directed the company. John Dannemiller became the president and leads the company with the assistance of Mark Troup, Dave Troup, Jeff Troup, and William Dannemiller II. A focus on marketing helped to push the company forward. A full e-commerce website was added. The company began moving from a regional company to one with a national presence.
In 2019, C.J. Dannemiller Co. completed Safe Quality Food (SQF) certifications in both popcorn and nut roasting sectors. This certification shows commitment to safety and quality while allowing us to meet customer needs better in the future.
After the completion of SQF, the facility was expanded even further, building two more additions, one in 2022 and another in 2023. The first addition allowed for increased production and the second addition increased storage. Both additions will assist in ensuring the freshest products are provided to our customers – as we have over 50,000 sq. ft. housing over 1200 item numbers to date.
Today the business employs both the 4th and 5th generation. The 5th generation includes: Megan, Sarah, Ben, and Tony.
Clarence Dannemiller had an idea that proved successful. To this day multiple generations are continuing that success story.
