Kid in a Candy Store
For Joe Zanetos, working in the confectionery family business started at an early age. But the more he did it, the more he liked it. It continues to be his dream job.
Growing up in a
family-owned candy company shaped the life of Joe Zanetos. His grandfather,
Anthony, made candy all of his life and when his son, Tom, returned home from
World War II, the two started the Anthony-Thomas Candy Co.
Joe Zanetos
started going to work at 8 years old with his dad when he wasn’t in school,
packing candy and washing pots and pans. He learned everything about the
business from candy making to retail as he climbed up the ladder to various
positions, becoming president in 1993.
“The more I did
it, the more I like it,” says Zanetos. “And, when I graduated from high school
I decided, ‘That’s what I want to do for the rest of my life’.”
Columbus, Ohio-based Anthony-Thomas Candy Co.
has 14 retail stores. In addition to
supplying those stores with chocolates, it also operates fund-raising, wholesaling and
co-manufacturing divisions that specialize in boxed chocolates and chocolate
bars. Peanut butter-chocolate buckeyes, English toffee, caramels and butter
creams are some of the company’s most popular products.
Zanetos says working with
family members can be difficult. To be successful family members have to learn to
work together. “In our situation, everyone is doing what they do best,” he
says.
For more
information, visit anthony-thomas.com
What did you
think you would be when you grew up?
I
wanted to be a mechanical engineer like my uncle. I liked working on machines
as a boy and I once built a go-cart.
Name one or
some of your favorite movies.
"Casablanca” or any old
western movie.
Describe your
perfect dream vacation.
A
beautiful island with a beautiful beach where I can golf or swim during the day
and go to a casino at night.
What book are
you currently reading?
finished John Kasich’s “Stand For Something.”
Aside from a
family member, whom would you most want to be stranded with on a deserted
island?
Someone
who knows how to survive.
What's your pet
peeve?
When
people tell me they’re going to do something then they don’t.
I'd give
anything to meet:
George
Washington. I’d like to ask him what the framers really wanted for this
country.
The best piece
of advice that I've gotten:
Work
hard and let common sense guide your decisions.
What excites
you most about your job?
Are
you kidding? I’m a kid in a candy store. I love getting up and going to work
everyday. When people meet me in Columbus and
I tell them I’m president of Anthony-Thomas, they always say: Wow. I’d sure
like to have your job.
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