BROWN & HALEY
Website: www.brown-haley.com
Location: Tacoma
Key People: CEO Pierson Clair was vice president of Blommer Chocolate Co., one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the U.S., before joining Brown & Haley eight years ago. David Armstrong, senior vice president, oversees logistics. Clarence Guimond is executive vice president. John Melin is COO.

Key Innovation: In 1923, the company masterminded Almond Roca, the crunchy, thumb-length, butter-infused confection coated in chocolate and chopped almonds. In recent years, the company added six flavors: Honey-Roasted Peanut Roca, Cashew Roca, Mocha Roca, Candy Cane Roca, Sugar Free Almond Roca and Sugar Free Cashew Roca. And don't forget the company's Mountain Bars, chocolate bars filled with vanilla, cherry or peanut butter and shaped like - you guessed it - mountains.

Measure of Success: Brown & Haley reaches 40 international markets, Clair says, and the company's gold, pink and red packaging plays well in Asian cultures, where gold represents wealth, and pink and red embody happiness. The company would not disclose financial numbers, but "we've grown, over the last three years, more than 15 percent a year," Clair says.

No. of Employees: 310

What's Next: The company wants to introduce new confections that play off the well-known Roca flavor, Clair says. One plan is to expand the availability of its Roca cookies for Valentine's Day.

CHOCOLATE NECESSITIES
Website: www.chocolatenecessities.com

Location: Bellingham

Key People: Kevin Buck, president of the company, has 20 years of experience tasting - and testing - chocolate, including time spent in Belgium, Germany and Canada. Maria Verkist has worked for the company for five years. She focuses on customer service, production and packaging.

Key Innovation: Chocolate Necessities specializes in gourmet chocolate truffles, hand-dipping them "in real good Belgium chocolate," Buck says. "We don't have any sugar in our shop at all," he adds. "Sugar is the enemy of good chocolate."

Measure of Success: In 2003, Buck won the $5,000 top prize - a trip to Europe, 500 pounds of chocolate and 200 pounds of hazelnut paste - in a national contest sponsored by Candy Industry Magazine. He won in the Haute Hazelnut contest for what he describes as "crispy, crunchy" squares incorporating hazelnuts, cocoa and an "obscure" French cookie "that looks like a cornflake." Buck estimates his company will generate $450,000 in revenue in 2006.

No. of Employees: 8

What's Next: Buck says he wants to "capture some of the awareness" of the health aspects of chocolate by creating something involving dark chocolate. Europeans have been aware of the health benefits of chocolate for a while now, he says, and Americans are beginning to recognize it, too.

BOEHMS CANDIES
Website: www.boehmscandies.com

Location: Issaquah

Key People: The owner, Bernard Garbusjuk, started out as a cook and has put in more than 30 years with the company. Monty Simpson and Wayne Ford are cooks, making fudge, truffles and brittle, among other goodies. "Everything here is done by hand," says Jenifer Smith, who manages the office.

Key Innovation: The company headquarters is itself a draw, featuring two unique buildings that attract both residents and tourists: the Edelweiss Chalet, which encompasses the retail store and candy manufacturing plant, and the Alpine Chapel, an ornate tribute to mountain climbers. The chalet includes a second-story apartment, where founder Julius Boehm (1897-1981) lived at times. "People come here for an experience," Smith says. "People don't just come here to get chocolate."

Measure of Success: The long history of the company, coupled with its selectiveness in where it sells its treats, continues to bolster its identity, Smith says. "We're getting to be more known in Oregon and California and Texas because we've been in companies like Nordstrom and QFC," Smith says. However, "we don't want you to be able to buy Boehms just anywhere." The company would not disclose financial numbers, but Smith says growth has been 8 percent to 10 percent a year.

No. of Employees: 35 to 40, depending on the time of year

What's Next: Plans call for more gift-type items and packaged items for customers, Smith says. Additionally, the company wants to increase its marketing toward people in their 30s and 40s. They're seeing a younger clientele coming in, Smith says.

DILETTANTE CHOCOLATES
Website: www.dilettante.com

Location: Seattle

Key People:  Dana Davenport is founder of the company and a third-generation chocolatier, who draws inspiration from his family's thousands of pages of recipes. Dave Taylor, owner of Seattle Gourmet Foods, which bought Dilettante in May 2006, is president of Dilettante. Tom Means is CEO. Brian Davenport, Dana's brother, is the business development manager.

Key Innovation: Think coffee. Then think chocolate. Among other things, Dilettante offers the Dilettante Mocha, a mix of espresso coffee and chocolate. Customers may choose the amount and type of chocolate they want in their coffee. "The general consumer is asking a lot more questions than they did, say, five years ago," Brian Davenport says. "The trend is to build on that consumer awareness."

Measure of Success: Dilettante still loves what it does, Davenport says. "The one thing I've learned over the years is that to be successful with a brand, you must have the love portion. Just the money doesn't cut it." Money helps, too: Seattle Gourmet Foods expected $30 million in revenue in 2006.

No. of Employees: 200

What's Next: Dilettante will continue to market its products to increasingly choosy customers who are looking for tailored treats, Davenport says. As far as new products go, he says, "we're covering just about every base there is."