Locally made protein bars sold across U.S.

The company is producing 150,000 protein bars a day on Belmont Avenue.

By DON SHILLING

VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR

LIBERTY — A new company that split off from a family business in Pittsburgh has 50 workers making protein bars that are sold across the country.

Belmont Confections opened in May at the former Delphi Packard Electric training facility at 4718 Belmont Ave., and a ribbon-cutting ceremony was to be held today.

George Tsudis, company owner, said daily production is up to 150,000 protein bars, which are being sent to retailers all across the country.

A quick ramp-up in production was possible because the accounts had been with Tsudis Chocolate Co., which he had operated with his brother.

The Pittsburgh company produces Hershey’s and M&M chocolate products and NutriSystem bars.

When Tsudis Chocolate received the contract to produce all of NutriSystem breakfast bars earlier this year, however, the owners knew they were going to be out of space.

Rather than drop production of another product, protein bars, George Tsudis saw it as an opportunity to create his own business.

He created the local company to make the protein bars. He lives in Poland and had moved to this area several years ago when he and his brother were attempting to buy a local company.

Pat Ungaro, township administrator, said he is glad to have the company because it is occupying a building that has been vacant.

Various types

Tsudis said Belmont Confections makes a half-dozen types of protein bars on a contract basis, such as Prosource bars and Premier Nutrition’s Twisted bars. Prosource bars are sold at 7-Eleven, while Premier bars are sold at Target nationwide and Sam’s Club and Costco on the West Coast.

The bars are bought primarily by body builders.

“These are definitely people who are reading the back of the bar to see what’s in it,” Tsudis said.

The base of all the bars is high-energy chocolate with a caramel topping and protein inside.

The Tsudis family has been involved with candy for years. George’s father, Spiros, worked for nearly 30 years for D.L. Clark Candy Co., the former maker of the Clark bar, in Pittsburgh.

He left Clark in 1985 to found Penhurst Chocolate Co., which makes candy under private labels for national distributors.

shilling@vindy.com