The History of Trolli Candy

In 1948, Willy Mederer founded Wilmed, a German confectionary company. He began creating various sweet creations, including mint fondant. The demand for Wilmed confections grew so high that Willy’s son, Herbert, began helping with the family business. To better reflect their bold and creative products, the two decided to change the company name to Trolli. In 1982, the first Trolli Originals hit the market — these included peach rings and sour apple rings. Around this time, Trolli entered the U.S. market. In 1984, Herbert took over the company’s management and began churning out a variety of zany treats, including Wurrli (brightly colored gummy worms that were notably shaped using an innovative brass lathe) and Trolli Burger (burger-shaped gummies). In 1993, Trolli released Sour Glowworms. Not only did they become one of the company’s best-selling items, but the inventive candies also earned Herbert Mederer a Candy Kettle Award. Today, Trolli continues to offer a full line of wacky, fun candies and is well-known for its zany advertising campaigns.