Penn Hills fudge factory creates inclusive work environment

Roger Haney and his wife, Erin, have done everything they can to support their son, Jake, after he was diagnosed with autism in 2015.

They joined different autism and special-needs associations and groups, trying to help their son and keep him engaged with the family.

Roger Haney, concerned for his son’s future, began looking for a way to battle the 85% underemployment rate for individuals with disabilities.

In 2020, things took a sweet turn when he decided to make the jump from corporate America and buy a fudge factory in Penn Hills.

“I’d never owned a business before this,” Haney said. “I worked as a hospital admin in corporate America. I quit my job in 2020, cashed in my retirement and bought the chocolate company.”

By late 2021, Spectrum Fudge was up and running.

“I looked into a car wash, a restaurant — something that my son and others could do,” he said.

Haney said he knew a bit about making fudge because his grandfather used to be in the business. One thing that made him go all in was that the work would be a mesh of skills and abilities.

He said many of the tasks during fudge production are repetitive and incorporate multiple life skill exercises such as dipping, wrapping, packaging, labeling, speaking with customers and counting change.

Spectrum Fudge formed a partnership with Franklin Regional high school about two years ago and watched the mission grow from there, Haney said.

Now, he has partnerships with about 13 schools, with the most recent being the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children and the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. He also has formed a relationship with Transitional Options, a social service agency in Crafton that serves adults with intellectual development disabilities and autism.

Through these relationships, Haney has been able to provide an inclusive workplace for individuals on the autism spectrum and with special needs. He often hires students and adults as part-time employees to give them work experience. The company has two full-time employees. One of which is John Barner, a special-needs individual who has a degree in culinary arts from Bidwell Training Center.

Workers make chocolate-covered apples, Oreos and marshmallows, and, of course, different types of fudge.

The company’s main source of marketing has been through different “shows” and festivals in nearby communities, Haney said.

“That’s the great thing about doing shows,” Haney said. “We’re constantly meeting individuals. Students learn how to make a change, and we get to speak with customers.”

On May 14, Spectrum Fudge hosted its first ever Advocacy Day. The hourlong event served as an open house to introduce the company to the community.

“I believe the more people that know about Spectrum Fudge, the more opportunities that we can offer to individuals,” Haney said.