The drama started in May of last year. That was when the New England Confection Company looked to be going out of business. It was a humiliating end for the Massachusetts candy maker which began in 1847 when Oliver Chase, an immigrant from England, invented a lozenge cutter. On that cutting edge technology he and his brother founded Chase and Co., which eventually became the company better known as NECCO.
For years they were a growing concern, churning out Mary Janes and Clark Bars and Squirrel Nut Caramels. But by far their most popular product was their original namesake NECCO wafers. Soldiers carried them in the Civil War. During World War II, the U.S. government found them to be the perfect treat for the troops as they didn't melt and could be shipped without breaking or spoiling. They were so indestructible that Admiral Richard Byrd took more than two tons on them with him on his two-year exploration of Antarctica.
Alas, what mold couldn't harm economics could. And so after numerous sales, suits and deals, the company declared bankruptcy last spring. In May in what looked to be a last-minute reprieve, Round Hill Investments LLC acquired the company for more than $17 million. Round Hill was controlled by the Metropoulos family, which had a track record in giving new life to classic brands, counting Hostess, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Bumble Bee, and Chef Boyardee as part of its portfolio, It looked as though Banana Split Chews had a new lease on life.
Then scarcely two months later, like an aging center being passed from team to team, Round Hill announced that they were selling their new asset to a mystery buyer. Eventually it emerged that the new owner was the Ohio based Spangler Candy Company, whose brands include Dum Dum Lollipops and Circus Peanuts. Spangler had actually outbid Round Hill the first time around, but reneged on the sale after they rethought it. But 2 months of dreaming of no NECCO wafers was obviously too much to bear, and they made Round Hill an offer they couldn't refuse.
In order to make the purchase viable, Spangler sold off Clark Bars and Candy Buttons and Mint Juleps, keeping NECCO wafers and Canada Mints. The idea was to retool the company and relaunch the remaining products in a way that made the company more efficient and economically vibrant. It's not an unusual tack, one that generally has no ramifications beyond fans of those particular candies.
Except in this case.
One of the brands Spangler kept from the original portfolio was Sweethearts. You may recall them as those little heart shaped confections with cute sayings on them, like "MISS U" and "B MINE." NECCO produced about 8 billion a year, and sold almost all of that inventory in the six weeks leading up to February 14. But none of those sentiments will be available for this holiday season, as for first time in 153 years, Sweethearts will not be produced and will be "AWOL" on Valentine's Day.
In a statement Spangler Chairman and CEO Kirk Vashaw said, "We wish we could have Sweethearts out for the 2019 Valentine season, but it's just not possible. We are committed to making sure these brands meet consumer expectations when they re-enter the market. Doing it right takes time." The official press release was accompanied by a picture of three hearts with inscriptions "MISS U 2," "WAIT 4 ME" and "BACK SOON."
One wonders what kind of retooling they are doing. It's unlikely that they are monkeying with the formula. After all, it's not about taste. While they say that the hearts have actual flavors like Cherry, Lemon and Grape, no one that has ever eaten one thinks they taste like anything other than chalk. And they have already updated the sayings they use, which now go beyond "TRUE LOVE" and "YOU AND ME" to include "TWEET ME," TXT ME" and "B MY BFF."
Whatever the reasoning, it will leave a noticeable void. For sure you can still give your beloved a diamond necklace. But if your goal was to give them something sweet and pithy, you're out of luck. Then again, you could take advantage of the increased real estate of a full size Snickers Bar and scratch into the chocolate "YOU N ME 4 EVER N EVER." Who needs roses?
-END-
Marc Wollin of Bedford loves candy of all types. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
For years they were a growing concern, churning out Mary Janes and Clark Bars and Squirrel Nut Caramels. But by far their most popular product was their original namesake NECCO wafers. Soldiers carried them in the Civil War. During World War II, the U.S. government found them to be the perfect treat for the troops as they didn't melt and could be shipped without breaking or spoiling. They were so indestructible that Admiral Richard Byrd took more than two tons on them with him on his two-year exploration of Antarctica.
Alas, what mold couldn't harm economics could. And so after numerous sales, suits and deals, the company declared bankruptcy last spring. In May in what looked to be a last-minute reprieve, Round Hill Investments LLC acquired the company for more than $17 million. Round Hill was controlled by the Metropoulos family, which had a track record in giving new life to classic brands, counting Hostess, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Bumble Bee, and Chef Boyardee as part of its portfolio, It looked as though Banana Split Chews had a new lease on life.
Then scarcely two months later, like an aging center being passed from team to team, Round Hill announced that they were selling their new asset to a mystery buyer. Eventually it emerged that the new owner was the Ohio based Spangler Candy Company, whose brands include Dum Dum Lollipops and Circus Peanuts. Spangler had actually outbid Round Hill the first time around, but reneged on the sale after they rethought it. But 2 months of dreaming of no NECCO wafers was obviously too much to bear, and they made Round Hill an offer they couldn't refuse.
In order to make the purchase viable, Spangler sold off Clark Bars and Candy Buttons and Mint Juleps, keeping NECCO wafers and Canada Mints. The idea was to retool the company and relaunch the remaining products in a way that made the company more efficient and economically vibrant. It's not an unusual tack, one that generally has no ramifications beyond fans of those particular candies.
Except in this case.
One of the brands Spangler kept from the original portfolio was Sweethearts. You may recall them as those little heart shaped confections with cute sayings on them, like "MISS U" and "B MINE." NECCO produced about 8 billion a year, and sold almost all of that inventory in the six weeks leading up to February 14. But none of those sentiments will be available for this holiday season, as for first time in 153 years, Sweethearts will not be produced and will be "AWOL" on Valentine's Day.
In a statement Spangler Chairman and CEO Kirk Vashaw said, "We wish we could have Sweethearts out for the 2019 Valentine season, but it's just not possible. We are committed to making sure these brands meet consumer expectations when they re-enter the market. Doing it right takes time." The official press release was accompanied by a picture of three hearts with inscriptions "MISS U 2," "WAIT 4 ME" and "BACK SOON."
One wonders what kind of retooling they are doing. It's unlikely that they are monkeying with the formula. After all, it's not about taste. While they say that the hearts have actual flavors like Cherry, Lemon and Grape, no one that has ever eaten one thinks they taste like anything other than chalk. And they have already updated the sayings they use, which now go beyond "TRUE LOVE" and "YOU AND ME" to include "TWEET ME," TXT ME" and "B MY BFF."
Whatever the reasoning, it will leave a noticeable void. For sure you can still give your beloved a diamond necklace. But if your goal was to give them something sweet and pithy, you're out of luck. Then again, you could take advantage of the increased real estate of a full size Snickers Bar and scratch into the chocolate "YOU N ME 4 EVER N EVER." Who needs roses?
-END-
Marc Wollin of Bedford loves candy of all types. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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