RECOGNIZING WEISER CLASSIC CANDY

On 2026-06-09, Senator James E. Risch (R-ID) delivered a floor speech titled "RECOGNIZING WEISER CLASSIC CANDY" in the Senate.

RECOGNIZING WEISER CLASSIC CANDY

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 97 (Tuesday, June 9, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 9, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S2690] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING WEISER CLASSIC CANDY Mr. RISCH. Mr. President, Idaho's small businesses are the backbone of our economy and our communities. These small businesses not only employ our friends and neighbors but also provide invaluable goods and services that showcase Idaho's ingenuity and shared values. They are an intrinsic element of the Gem State and deserve to be celebrated. I am proud to launch my seventh annual Support Local Gems, a successful statewide initiative, on June 12, to encourage Idahoans to support the small businesses that make our State thrive. As a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I am pleased to honor Weiser Classic Candy during Support Local Gems as one of Idaho's Small Businesses of the Month for June 2026. Founded in 1986 by Fawn Olsen, a local celebrity known for her fudge, Weiser Classic Candy has become an Idaho staple. The fudge is famous for good reason. Fawn, the original owner, worked with food scientists from the University of Idaho to develop and perfect her own line of recipes for the confections still sold today in the Weiser storefront. Patrick Nauman, who now owns Weiser Classic Candy, fondly remembers walking through Fawn's Classic Candies and dreaming of one day running his own candy shop. In 2007, those dreams came true when Patrick moved back home to Weiser and bought the store from Fawn. Quickly after taking the reins, Patrick launched a website and implemented ideas that have helped expand the company from seven stores to now having their candies available in more than 200 across all 50 States. To ensure the business's Idaho roots remained front and center, Patrick hosted a community naming contest to rebrand Fawn's Classic Candies to Weiser Classic Candy. Staying true to his hometown and the Gem State, Patrick prioritizes Idaho ingredients. In each treat, customers are tasting milk from Darigold, cream from Reed's Dairy, apples from Symms Fruit Ranch, huckleberries from north Idaho, and sugar from Amalgamated Sugar. These Idaho products were placed in the spotlight earlier this year when Weiser Classic Candy was invited to send chocolates to the commissioning of the new USS Idaho. Thanks to their hard work, each crew member, their families, and attendees received Weiser's famous fudge. Patrick recognizes the significant impact a corner candy shop can have on a community. As part of his efforts to help other small business owners succeed, Patrick started the Weiser Classic Candy Entrepreneurial Scholarship. The initiative, which encourages the next generation to take the leap into entrepreneurship, has given out more than $20,000 in scholarships to high school students interested in attending programs that support small business development. Congratulations to Patrick Nauman and the entire Weiser Classic Candy team for being selected as an Idaho Small Business of the Month for June 2026. You are an outstanding example of what it means to be one of Idaho's Local Gems. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success. ____________________