West Oakland’s OCHO is less than a decade old and relies on organic ingredients, but it has national ambitions: “We want to be the best candy company in America,” said founder Denis Ring.

Ring founded OCHO (which stands for Organic CHOcolate) in 2010 as a way to create high-quality confections. “We wanted to offer a product that was better, cleaner, and had a different and more satisfying mouthfeel,” he said. All products are locally-made, GMO free and certified gluten-free by the National Celiac Foundation.

Before launching the company, Ring was VP of corporate brands at Whole Foods. Starting in a shared factory outside Sacramento, Ring moved to Oakland in 2013, and more recently to 2500 Campbell St. behind Brown Sugar Kitchen.

“We were growing so rapidly that we decided to make several investments which required our own facility,” said Ring.

Products include milk and dark chocolate bars with fillings like caramel, coconut and peanut butter, along with flavors like peanut butter and peppermint.

All products are prepared and assembled in house. “We felt that we needed to manufacture our own product and have complete control from the chocolate to the centers,” said Ring, who noted that the location offers proximity to a strong labor pool and many suppliers.

The West Oakland location started up with five employees, but has since grown to 35, though many commute from outside the area. “We had a policy where we intentionally tried to hire people from West Oakland,” said Ring.

“As we set up shop there we began to realize how important manufacturing is in a community like West Oakland,” he said. “The role we wanted to play was to be a part of the community. We do a lot of outreach for charity,” he said, such as sponsoring the Oakland Marathon.

As for the future, “we want to be able to continue product innovation,” he said. “We want to excite people about texture, flavor, and quality.”

OCHO bars can be purchased both via the company website and at select grocery stores throughout the Bay Area.