Charlotte Clary and Beverly Vines-Haines founded Ice Chips Candy in 2009. At that time they were already running their own company making natural salves and ointments for skin problems. They wanted a safe and natural xylitol candy for their families, especially their combined thirty-seven grandchildren. Additionally, Ice Chips were a great fit for their existing customer base and their philosophies.

The Ice Chips Candy was an immediate hit and most of their stores were soon placing repeat orders monthly. Ice Chips quickly caught several people’s attention, including a young salesman who saw unlimited potential and he called them. In a single year he took them from 24 stores to almost a thousand and it is at that point they caught the attention of the ABC smash hit, Shark Tank.

These two grandmothers and longtime friends became something of a phenomenon once they appeared on the show. Sales skyrocketed. People wanted to try every one of the eighteen (soon to nineteen) Ice Chip flavors. While Ice Chips Candy is not the first business venture the two have shared it is certainly the most successful.