Dueling Fools
The Chocolate War
The Companies
By
I remember it clearly. My family arrived at HersheyPark just as the Pennsylvania amusement park's parade was wrapping up and the costumed sweets were posing for pictures.
"Hey, what's York Peppermint Patty doing here?"
My son chased after a frightened Reese's Peanut Butter Cup -- and the dread was justified since my kid had just walloped Mama Berenstein Bear out at Cedar Point two days earlier.
Sweet tooths come in all shapes and cavity sizes. That is why all the candy makers stock well beyond their namesake items.
While Milton Hershey started out with a candy bar, a darn good one, the product line has grown dramatically over the years. Can you give me a second Twizzler, I have a story to tell.
Three years ago Hershey acquired the Leaf stateside confection business from Finland's Huhtamaki Oy. In that one deal Hershey became the master to Heath, Good & Plenty, Jolly Rancher, Milk Duds, Payday, Whoppers, Super Bubble, and Rain-Blo.
In 1988, Hershey acquired my park buddy York, along with Almond Joy and Mounds, from Cadbury.
It all started with Milton of course. Milton and his chocolate factory, in a Pennsylvania town that bore his name long before the Kisses-shaped streetlights lined it, found sweet success in the treat business. His philanthropic ways endeared him to the community. His business-savvy ways endeared him to investors.
His talent proved contagious. Harry Burnett Reese, once a Hershey dairy farmer, went on to deliciously merge peanut butter with chocolate. That was Hershey chocolate he was using. In 1963, Hershey acquired Reese's cups and went on to expand the product line.
Hershey, the target of many a chocoholic fantasy, has acquired quite a few brands over the years. However, it has never honed in on privately held Mars -- the maker of the legendary M&Ms. It has also never won over Tootsie Roll.
In 1896, the Tootsie Roll was born. As the world's first wrapped penny candy, the chewy concoction hasn't changed much over the years. What has changed is its popularity. Every day, close to 50 million Tootsie Rolls are consumed worldwide.
Unlike the rural Milton, Tootsie Roll's Leo Hirschfield came to New York City as an Austrian immigrant and began selling his confection out of a small shop in the Big Apple. Why "Tootsie"? It was his young daughter's nickname.
In 1922, the treat-maker went public as the Sweets Company of America. It would keep the moniker for another 44 years before taking on the name of its flagship brand, Tootsie Roll.
While the 1930s found the introduction of the Tootsie Pop, like Hershey, Tootsie Roll has spent the last few years growing through acquisitions. In 1988, the company purchased the Charms line of lollipops.
Five years later it bought the candy business of Warner-Lambert <% if gsSubBrand = "aolsnapshot" then Response.Write("(NYSE: WLA)") else Response.Write("(NYSE: WLA)") end if %>. That gave the company heartier chews in Sugar Daddy, Sugar Babies, Charleston Chew, and the Seinfeld-immortalized Junior Mints.
Along with Dots and Cella's chocolate-covered cherries, Tootsie Roll covers sugar-rich terrain that goes well beyond Hirschfield's original confection.
Every treat has a tale to tell. Milk Duds were supposed to be perfect circles. They weren't. They were duds. Hence the name. Or what about Black Rose? You never heard of Black Rose? Of course not. The typesetter misheard the desired inscription. Black Crows were born.
So, as you make the rounds this Halloween weekend, it is safe to assume that you'll be collecting or dishing out plenty of Hershey and Tootsie Roll candy. Unless if you're that one house that decides to turn down the lights and ignore the costumed youngsters at the door -- only to wonder how busted egg shells will blend with your exterior paint.
Next: The Numbers