PONCHATOULA — For nearly 170 years, Elmer Chocolate has been the taste of Louisiana holidays, from Valentine's hearts to Easter eggs that disappear faster than the kids' baskets.

Now, the Ponchatoula icon has teamed up with a new majority owner, the Hoffman Family of Companies out of Florida.

“They're our partners," Elmer Chocolate CEO Robert Nelson said. "My brother, family, and I are still significantly invested in the company. They are a majority, but we are still significant, significant owners.”

Company leaders said this isn't a "sell-out" story, it's a "double-down" story, with both sides

committed to Louisiana jobs.

“There'll be zero job cuts," Hoffman Family of Companies Co-CEO Geoff Hoffmann said. "There will only be job additions. There is only going to be expansion in Louis

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