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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.
Le Rouge Chocolates by Aarti
Like Scarpati, Bonya Kleyman stumbled into the chocolate
business. The Norwalk native, who graduated from Staples
High School in 2016, was given the opportunity to work
in the candy industry when selecting her mandatory high
school internship. Little did she know, working for Le Rouge
Chocolates by Aarti would change the trajectory of her life
forever.
"I knew I wanted to work in the food industry. It's something
I'm very passionate about," said Kleyman. "I felt like Le Rouge
was the perfect place to get my feet wet."
Kleyman worked with Aarti Khosla, founder of Le Rouge
Chocolates, for a month and a half during her senior year
of high school. She was given responsibilities ranging from
forming the chocolates, to email marketing, to photography.
"Not only is Aarti an incredible boss, she's an inspiring
artisan," said Kleyman. "She channels her international
experiences and her Indian culture into creating fresh, highly
detailed artisanal chocolates created in small batches using
fair-trade dark chocolate."
Bonya Kleyman (above) started working for Le Rouge Chocolates by Aarti
(top) during a high school internship.
