Jolly Rancher (name)

The name was meant to suggest a hospitable, western company. Bill Harmsen founded the Jolly Rancher Company in 1949 with the goal of having a name that seemed friendly and welcoming to customers. His candies were originally sold in Denver, Colorado, making his other products like ice cream hard to sell in the cold winter months. Since this became an issue, Harmsen decided to put his main focus into his hard candies. He figured that this would be something that could be enjoyed year-round, no matter the cold temperatures.