With their chocolate moose pops and iconic lighthouse logo, Wilbur’s of Maine Chocolate Confections is probably one of the state’s most well-known home-grown brands.
In 1983, long before downtown Freeport was the outlet-shopping mecca it is today, teachers Tom Wilbur and Catherine Carty-Wilbur started selling candy from a tiny second-floor space on Bow Street, in an effort to supplement their salaries and support their three kids.
From the beginning, their son Andy loved being a part of the business. By the time he was 8, he was bagging gummy bears on the sales floor. At age 11 he was manning the register.