It's another long day for Larry Temo and his team.

"We are strictly holiday-oriented," said Temo. "Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter."That's what happens when you're in the candy-making business around a holiday like Easter, something that the Temo family has been enjoying since the 1940's.

Temo says the industry has changed and, like so many others, the small business owner has all but disappeared.In fact, the retail arm of Temo's Candy on West Exchange Street in Akron is closed from Mother's Day until sometime in September, when it's time to start mixing syrups and preparing
candy treats for Christmas.

"It's getting to the point now where you don't see hardly any candy manufacturers in the Akron area," said Temo. "If you can't buy volume, you can't survive."

The ability to buy ingredients in bulk is done because of the partnerships Temo has developed with other retailers, including being a candy supplier to all of the area ACME stores. That's
actually how Temo's Candy started. Temo's dad would sell candy to department stores in downtown Akron. They eventually decided to start selling it under their own name.