INDIANAPOLIS — The fourth-generation owners of one of the oldest continuously operated, family-owned candy stores in the United States was honored Tuesday with Indiana’s top tourism award.
Jill and Warren Schimpff, who run Schimpff’s Confectionery, received the Will Koch Indiana Tourism Leadership Award in a ceremony at the Statehouse.
The business opened in April 1891 and remains at the same location, 347 Spring St. in downtown Jeffersonville, according to a news release from the governor’s office. The Clark County city of 54,100 residents sits across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky.
In 2026, the Schimpffs passed the torch to sixth-generation owners Steve Shepherd and Beth Shepherd, the candy store’s website said.
Republican Gov. Mike Braun in a statement cited the Schimpff family’s longevity in business, dedication, craftsmanship, and community commitment.
The release also said Sonya Nash, CEO of Visit Shipshewana/LaGrange County, received the Visit Indiana Leadership Award. Eighteen tourism workers also received Hoosier Hospitality Awards.
