Cincinnati, Ohio

Eighty years ago, a daring man risked everything to support his family. The stock market crashed two years earlier and America was in The Great Depression. David C. Evans borrowed $2,000 on his $8,000 home to buy Kings Ink Company. With ingenuity and determination, he expanded the original ink-only lines to include everything from paste and glue to soft drink concentrates, cake flavorings, and coloring. The food line he developed was then sold under Gold Medal.

With the help of David's sons, David Bruce and J.C., Gold Medal became a worldwide concession leader by creating industry milestones and revolutionary advances. By the late 1940s, Gold Medal was a major producer of Sno-Kone^®, cotton candy, and popcorn machines. Gold Medal introduced its first 6-ounce popcorn popper in 1949, and the first factory-made cotton candy cone in 1951. In the 50s, Gold Medal continued to share its passion for popcorn with advances in poppers. It then continued to perfect and introduce other concession classics to the world during the next few decades. Now, Gold Medal holds numerous patents for concession equipment and makes a wide variety of fun food machines to give each customer tailored, profit-packed sales. (For example, it holds 16 patents on popcorn machines and makes more than 80 models of poppers.)

Now, as it celebrates its 80^th anniversary, Gold Medal still takes the risks to ensure the rewards for its customers. It still manufactures concession equipment and flavors and distributes them—and other concession supplies—worldwide from its Cincinnati, OH location. The company continues to thrive with the third and fourth generations of the Evans family, each building on the success of the past. It's led by J.C., chairman, and Dan Kroeger, president. The family business has also expanded to employ more than 350 people, has 10 additional branches, and has a network of dealers around the globe to ensure the timely, unsurpassed customer service.