History of Squire Boone Village
Squire Boone Village is a real place in southern Indiana where Squire Boone, younger brother of Daniel Boone, lived and worked. In 1815, Squire Boone was laid to rest in a cave at the village that once saved his life by providing him refuge a ban of hostile Indians.
1971: An entrepreneur by the name of Fred Conway bought the land that once was owned by Squire Boone and turned it into an historic and natural wonder attraction. The attraction today hosts 20,000 school children each year teaching them Indiana history and earth science. Scores of Scout Troops attend classes, workshops, and field exercise to earn merit badges in geology and nature.
1983: In order to fund operations and future expansion at the attraction, Squire Boone Caverns and Village, Rick Conway, son of founder Fred Conway, exhibits at the Louisville Gift Show with the intention of wholesaling crafts made at the village to other area retailers. Soap, candles, baking mixes, collector rocks, and rock crystal candy started the wholesale division of Squire Boone Village and continue to be in the Squire Boone line today.
1985: Rock Crystal Candy manufacturing began in a small scale in one of the original hand honed pioneer log cabins at the village. Rock Crystal Candy gave SBV its start in the world-wide confectionery industry.
1987: Rick Conway makes his first trek out of the country to south Brazil to meet with mine owners and lapidary workshop owners in the amethyst and agate field districts. Squire Boone Village, DBA Earth Exploration Co., over the last twenty years has developed close ties with mines and lapidary workshops in India, China, Morocco, South Africa, Madagascar, Philippines, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Peru as well as in the USA.
1989: Squire Boone Village wholesale division has doubled in sales each year since 1983 and now has to move to rented space in an industrial park nearby in New Albany, Indiana
1993: 11 Acres and 40,000 sq ft of manufacturing space is purchased at a foreclosure auction in New Albany, IN, giving Squire Boone Village the badly needed room to expand.
1999: Founder Fred Conway passes away of natural causes at the young age of 70; he is still missed.
2001-2003: Recession for Squire Boone Village began in June of 2001. For the first time Squire Boone Village experienced a decline in sales. To compound the situation Squire Boone Village lost a major national account. The terrorist attack on the world trade center and following anthrax threat halted tourism, SBV’s core market segment. After three successive years of loss Squire Boone Village’s bank froze their line of credit putting Squire Boone Village on the brink of insolvency.
2004: The turnaround year. Family members and equity partners loaned money to Squire Boone Village to meet payroll. Cutbacks in overhead were made as deeply as possible. New product introductions, increased marketing, and upgraded sales force all worked together enabling Squire Boone Village to show a profit for the first time in three years.
2007: Squire Boone Village acquires Bloom Brothers from an investor who bought Bloom Brothers along with five other companies that comprised bankrupt, Stravina. Stravina, a roll-up company, had purchased Bloom Brothers 5 years earlier from family members of the original founders.
2010: SBV wins "Buyers’ Choice Award" for best permanent merchandising candy display for its “Jive Turkey” Feather Lollipop Display.
Squire Boone Village’s new and improved website goes live on August 6, 2010. Including an Online Catalog, this website helps push SBV into the 20th century.
2011: Squire Boone Village exhibits for the first time at a foreign trade show in Cologne, Germany at the International Sweets Manufacturers Expo, the largest candy trade show in the world.
Hitchers win Buyer's Choice Award at NCA Sweets and Snacks Expo.