At Linnea’s, chocolate has always been about more than what we sell. It’s about the people, relationships, and shared passion for the confectionery industry that have shaped our family business for generations.
In 2022, that commitment was recognized when Linnea’s President Chris Romocean received the Henry J. Bornhofft Memorial Award from Retail Confectioners International (RCI).
Presented annually to a standout supplier member of the confectionery industry, the award recognizes years of outstanding leadership, loyalty, friendship, and significant contributions to the industry.
Growing Up with Linnea’s
For Chris, Linnea’s has truly been a lifelong experience.
He became involved in the family business at just 13 years old and joined full-time at 18, unloading delivery trucks, stocking merchandise and making plastic candy moulds. When Linnea’s needed a new distribution warehouse on the West Coast in 1987, Chris moved to San Bernardino, California, to help make it happen.
After 10 years in California, he returned home to Ohio and eventually took over as President from his father, Frank.
Today, Chris’s responsibilities span strategic planning, technical and product expertise, IT management, new product development, and plenty more. And despite the title, you may still find him answering customer calls, helping with orders, or pitching in to get shipments out the door.
That hands-on approach reflects something that has been important to Linnea’s since Chris’s parents, Linnea and Frank Romocean, founded the company: take care of your people and take care of your customers.
As Linnea and Frank described Chris, he “truly cares and always puts employees and customers in the forefront when making decisions.”
Relationships That Go Beyond Business
Chris’s commitment to Linnea’s has always gone hand in hand with his commitment to the confectionery community.
“Chris and the Linnea’s team always stress that relationships with our customers and vendors are paramount,” shared Chris’s sister and colleague, Holly DeLaney. “That comes from our parents and relationships they forged over the years.”
Those relationships remain at the heart of how Linnea’s does business today. Providing customers with knowledgeable, personal support and making sure they know they are valued has remained a priority throughout the company’s history.
Recognized by the Confectionery Community
Chris has also been an active member of Retail Confectioners International, serving on its Board of Directors and several committees.
The Henry J. Bornhofft Memorial Award was established by RCI’s Board of Directors in 1985 and is presented during the organization’s annual convention. Recipients are recognized for their leadership, loyalty, friendship, and contributions to the confectionery industry.
“I was very surprised and humbled to have received the Henry J. Bornhofft Memorial Award,” Chris said when receiving the honor. “It is a great honor for me and our company to be affiliated with this award, its past recipients and the amazing organization that RCI has become.”
For the Linnea’s family, the award represents something especially meaningful: recognition of the relationships, hard work and love of the confectionery industry that have been passed down from one generation to the next.
And while a lot has changed since Chris first started unloading trucks at 13, the things that matter most at Linnea’s haven’t: great products, expert support, and relationships built to last.
