Each of the nominees for this illustrious award were nominated as determined by the criteria set up for the Kettle Award in 1945. The criteria require superior achievement in the following areas: sales and marketing; education and personnel training; energy and environmental contributions; quality advancement; production and plant improvement; and research and product development.

Candy Industry’s founder and publisher, Don Gussow, established the Kettle Award in 1946. As he explained to readers then, the Kettle Award was meant as “recognition of the contribution for ‘great or good’ of the industry, not only on the part of the person selected for the distinction, but of every member of the confectionery field who has devoted himself in whatever measure to make the business of candy making and selling a more profitable and happier one.”

The chairman and members of the Kettle Committee, which consists of representatives from leading suppliers to the industry, will present the 77th Kettle Awards at a gala reception from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. May 14, during the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Indianapolis. Hors d'oeuvres will be served from 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. and the award program will begin on stage directly thereafter.

About the nominees:

John Brooks Jr. ("JB"), president, Adams & Brooks, Inc., leads the executive and operational activities for the company and reports to company Chairman John E. Brooks, Sr.

With more 30 years of experience in various roles in the business, Brooks, Jr. calls upon his broad experience to lead the company, having first worked a summer job in 1985. He joined the company full time in 1997 after earning his MBA from the University of Southern California.

Prior to being named president, Brooks, Jr. (referred to as "JB" by friends and associates) was COO of the company where he has been involved in all aspects of the business. He continues to provide leadership and developmental direction for the company’s two BRC certified manufacturing facilities located in California and in Mexico. Accomplishments in his career include leading the legal, operational, and managerial transition of the Mexican manufacturing facility from a separate company to a formal subsidiary as well as playing a key role in the relocation of U.S. manufacturing operations from the legacy site in Los Angeles to its current facility in San Bernardino.

In recent years, his efforts included leading the company’s response to COVID-19 and the emergence from the pandemic to a revitalized organization. More recent accomplishments include the collection real-time production data from the production floor, which augmented his successful effort to implement SAP in U.S. and Mexico operations, granting a wide array of business intelligence insights to the company. In addition to his leadership in strategic modernization of the company’s manufacturing operations, as well as elevating and transitioning its approach to variety of administrative and managerial tasks, JB serves as a pivotal role in the company’s product and brand development efforts.

In broader industry affairs, JB has been heavily involved in the NCA, has served as treasurer and audit committee chairman, and currently serves as investment committee chair and is a member of the PAC committee. He has served on the executive committee and has recently rotated back to serving on the NCA Board of Trustees. He regularly attends a variety of industry events including NCA’s Sweet and Snacks Expo, SOTIC, and the Summer Leadership Meeting, as well as being a high-involvement attendee of NCA’s Fall Forum. He attends NACS and ECRM as well, as having served for more than 10 years on the board of the Western Candy Conference in addition to chairing its conference in 2007.

Greg Power, CEO, Las Olas Confections and Snacks brings a wealth of experience within the confectionery industry. Power's journey began over three decades ago when he started in the candy business at a young age, marking the inception of a 33-year career—a journey that began with a simple response to a newspaper ad.

Power embarked on his professional journey with Helen Grace Chocolates in 1990, initially as a warehouse manager. Two years later, he assumed the role of purchasing manager while still effectively managing the warehouse. By 1995, Greg had taken charge of all plant operations. In 1998, he was named the company’s operations manager. In the year 2000, he reached the pinnacle of his tenure at Helen Grace Chocolates, becoming the general manager.

Power's journey continued when BBX Sweet Holdings acquired Helen Grace in 2014. He retained his role as general manager and vice president of operations for Helen Grace Chocolates, and concurrently, he assumed the general manager position for Hoffman’s Chocolates, another brand within BBX Sweet Holdings, where he oversaw operations and the manufacturing facility.

In 2015, Power was entrusted with spearheading a special project for BBX Capital Sweet Holdings. Over the course of 2015–2018, he executed and oversaw successful consolidation efforts for multiple manufacturing facilities and confection brands, including Kencraft, Williams Bennet, Anastasia, and Hoffman’s Chocolates.

Today, Power serves as the CEO of Las Olas Confections and Snacks, a testament to his expertise and strategic vision in the confectionery world. In this role, he sets the company’s overarching strategic direction, defines its long-term vision, and makes high-level decisions to drive growth and success.

Power's dedication to the confectionery industry extends beyond his roles within individual companies. Since 2014, he has been an active member of the board of directors for Retail Confectioners International, where he currently serves as the 1st vice president on the executive board. His contributions to the Western Candy Conference, where he served on the board of directors from 2012 to 2015 and chaired the conference in 2014, further illustrate his commitment to fostering industry growth and success.

Mark A. Tarner has served as president of The South Bend Chocolate Company, South Bend, IN, since 1993. He has also served as also president of the South Bend Chocolate Company Development Corp. since 1997.

Tarner is a native Hoosier and a graduate of Clay High School in South Bend. He has both a BA (1984) and a MA (1986) in European History from Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL. he has also taught and studied at the University of Frankfurt and University of Cologne in Germany.

Tarner has served within leadership for a wide range of community and business organizations, a few of which include:

• Board member of South Bend Alumni Association
• Board of directors for the Northern Indiana Historical Society
• Board member of The Downtown Development Steering Committee
• Board member of Madison Center
• Inner City CEO advisory board sponsored by Harvard University and Inc. Magazine
• Board member of National Confectioners Association

Tarner and the South Bend Chocolate Company actively support National Public Radio (WVPE locally), the American Heart Association, and many other local and regional charities.

Tarner has also received numerous awards throughout his career, including making Inc. Magazine's Inner City 100 list (2001, 2002, 2003); the 2000 Indiana Small Business Person of the Year; the Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 2005, the highest citizen award in the state of Indiana; the 2008 Indiana Top 50 Companies to Watch Award; the 2010 Outstanding Citizen and Entrepreneurship Award; the 2016 Vendor of the Year/South Bend Airport; and, in 2023, he was awarded the Key to Saint Joseph County, Indiana.

Tarner is a serious amateur paleontologist, and in 2023 was inducted as a member into the elite Explorer’s Club. He and his wife Julia have four children: Emily, Sam, Anna, and Elizabeth.