[2] In 1985, Joseph and Audrey brought in two partners to grow the business: Jeff Smith, a successful restaurateur and veteran of Nestle, and Duane Papierniak, an engineer.
[2] At different times, Joseph Schmidt products have been available in such department stores as Harrod's and Selfridges in the UK, David Jones Limited in Australia, Takashimaya in Tokyo, and a variety of locations in Canada.
[3] In November 2005, Joseph Schmidt Confections was purchased by Artisan Confections Company, a Hershey subsidiary, which had previously purchased Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, an artisanal chocolate manufacturer in nearby Berkeley, California.
[4] In November 2006 Artisan Confections purchased Dagoba, an Ashland, Oregon-based manufacturer of organic chocolate.
[4] By July 2009 both the production facility and retail store on 16th Street in San Francisco closed, laying off approximately 150 local employees.