John Brooks Jr, president of Adams & Brooks, claims Kettle Award confectionery honours

John Brooks Jr., President of Adams & Brooks has been in celebratory mood after being recognised by The National Confectionery Sales Association (NCSA), at the 77th Kettle Awards presentation at the Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, US, reports Neill Barston.

The event, which coincided with the recent Sweets & Snacks Expo, where fellow nominees Greg Power, CEO of Las Olas Confections and Snacks, and Mark A. Tarner, President of South Bend Chocolate Company, were honoured.

As part of the event, there was a private dinner attended by family, friends and colleagues. The Kettle Awards are an annual recognition for a deserving individual working within the U.S. confectionery manufacturing industry.

Brooks serves as President of Adams & Brooks, Inc., leading the executive and operational activities and reporting to company chairman and 2010 Kettle Awards recipient John Brooks, Sr. With more than 30 years working in various roles at Adams & Brooks, his career journey began at the company gaining experience through part-time jobs during high school and college until he joined Adams & Brooks full time in 1997 after earning his Bachelor of Arts in English from Vanderbilt University and his MBA from the University of Southern California.

“I’m joined here tonight with a very nice contingent of the A&B crew, and I want to take this moment to explain why you’re here,” said Brooks Jr. “Now, you might think that you’re here because you’re supporting me and you’re supporting the company, and yes, that’s true, but there’s something else – we talk about teamwork and being interconnected and being interdependent; we talk about no one gets their job done unless we all get our job done, and you think I could be effective in what I do without all of you by my side? No way. So, you’re here because you’re just as much a recipient of this award as I am, so thank you for being here.”

Prior to being named President of the company in 2021, Brooks served as Chief Operating Officer, involved in all aspects of the business. A hands-on leader, Brooks oversees the company’s two BRC-certified manufacturing facilities in California and Mexico.

He led the legal, operational and managerial transition of the Mexican manufacturing facility from a separate company to a formal subsidiary, as well as playing a key role in the relocation of Adams & Brooks’ U.S. manufacturing operations from its legacy site in Los Angeles to its current location in San Bernardino. In recent years, Brooks led Adams & Brooks’ implementation of Systems Applications and Products (SAP) in the U.S. and Mexican operations, a significant step in modernizing the company’s manufacturing operations.

Beyond his work with Adams & Brooks, Brooks is heavily involved in the confectionery industry. He has served on the NCA board for many years and currently chairs the investment committee. Brooks is also an NCSA Manufacturer Advisory Council member and an ardent supporter of the Western Candy Conference, chairing its 2007 event and recently rejoining the board.

“We are thrilled to present John Brooks, Jr. with this Kettle Awards recognition,” said Joseph Melville, NCSA Chairman and Owner of Melville Candy Co. “With more than three decades of commitment to the confectionery industry, John has made great strides for Adams & Brooks. We are also proud to celebrate the achievements of Greg Power and Mark A. Tarner who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the confectionery industry.”

The Kettle Awards were established in 1946 by industry publisher Don Gussow. Each year, the nominees are selected by the Kettle Awards Committee for their dedication to the confectionery industry, superior achievement in sales and marketing, education and personnel training, energy and environmental contributions, quality advancement, production and plant improvement, and research and product development. The NCSA assumed guardianship of the Kettle Awards in February 2024.