Local mayor leads expansion effort at chocolate maker – Thompson Brands

Meriden Mayor Kevin Scarpati started working for Thompson Brands after doing some marketing work for them.

“It’s amazing to work for a company, born right here in Meriden, that’s grown into a globally recognized brand, operating out of a 120,000-square-foot building and employs 190 people,”

— Kevin Scarpati

“We just clicked,” said Scarpati. “We were both just really impressed by one another. At first, I was just helping them with marketing. It was a good fit. I was able to use my political knowledge to boost brand visibility within our community.”

Three short months later, Scarpati was promoted to manager and today he leads Thompson’s brand-expansion initiatives into larger, global markets.

Two of Thompson’s chocolate products.

Scarpati admits he’s not your average 29-year-old. This mayor, chocolatier and marketing muscle, says you can often find him burning the midnight oil, juggling his responsibilities as mayor with his role at Thompson. That being said, he says he gets great joy out of his role with the company.

“People really enjoy our products. It’s also neat to see how the business has grown from Meriden’s first candy store to the global brand it is today. Plus, not many people get to say they work for a chocolate company.”

Thompson Brands, founded in 1879, creates molded, foil-wrapped chocolates using no artificial ingredients. Its biggest market is in private label and, according to Scarpati, the company employs many female and minority workers – something he says is a testament to the company’s forward-thinking culture and global vision.

“It’s amazing to work for a company, born right here in Meriden, that’s grown into a globally recognized brand, operating out of a 120,000-square-foot building and employs 190 people,” Scarpati said. ◾