Ford Gum

The story of Ford Gum began in 1913. Ford Mason, a 20-year-old roofing salesman spent spring, summer and early fall traveling by horse and buggy over the winding country roads of western New York State. He was idle during the winter because nobody repaired barn roofs in cold weather. Looking for work that winter, Ford met a man engaged in the business of operating chewing gum vending machines. The first machine had been invented only a few years before, and just a handful of entrepreneurs had ventured into the business. Ford was impressed. He borrowed the money to lease 102 machines and placed them in stores and shops in western New York communities. Ford spent the winter collecting pennies and restocking machines. Ford quit the roofing business and devoted all his energy to selling gum. Today, Ford Gum is a leader in the manufacture and distribution of gum and confectionary products. Ford Gum’s signature brand is Big League Chew®, the iconic shredded bubble gum brand loved by all since 1980. It is the #1 shredded bubble gum brand in the world, with over 1 Billion pouches sold. We have a modern manufacturing facility located in Akron NY, and offices in the Chicago suburbs.