Harold Levinson Associates Honors HI-CHEW Candy

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Harold Levinson Associates (HLA) named HI-CHEW candy and its sales company Morinaga America Inc. as Confectionery Vendor of the Year for 2015. The convenience store distributor presented the award for fast-growing sales at its recent annual trade show.

"We are pleased to be recognized for the proven sales performance of HI-CHEW in recent years," stated Terry Kawabe, director, chief operating officer and senior vice president of Morinaga America. "When consumers have a chance to sample HI-CHEW, they get hooked. That's why we're No. 1 in Japan, and HLA has helped us get on the same path to success in the U.S."

HI-CHEW, Japan's best-selling chewy candy, has become popular in the United States in recent years. Real fruit juice is blended into the candy, which is free of gluten, cholesterol and artificial colors, and comes in strawberry, green apple, mango, grape, cherry, banana and melon flavors, according to the company.

Farmingdale, N.Y.-based HLA has operated since 1977 and is one of the nation's largest full-line convenience store distributors.