Pearson's Candy Company: Difference between revisions
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| industry = [[Confectionery]]/[[Chocolate]] |
| industry = [[Confectionery]]/[[Chocolate]] |
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| products = See products section |
| products = See products section |
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| revenue = $89,000,000<ref name="candy2018">{{cite web |url = https://www.candyindustry.com/Sweet-60/2018 |title = Sweet 60 2018: The top candy companies in North America |author = Pacyniak, Bernie |publisher= BNP Media. | |
| revenue = $89,000,000<ref name="candy2018">{{cite web |url = https://www.candyindustry.com/Sweet-60/2018 |title = Sweet 60 2018: The top candy companies in North America |author = Pacyniak, Bernie |publisher = BNP Media. |accessdate = 2018-07-19 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180719173650/https://www.candyindustry.com/Sweet-60/2018 |archive-date = 2018-07-19 |dead-url = no |df = }}</ref> |
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| num_employees = >200<ref name="kare"/> |
| num_employees = >200<ref name="kare"/> |
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| owner = [[Brynwood Partners]] |
| owner = [[Brynwood Partners]] |
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'''Pearson's Candy Company''' is an American [[chocolate]] and [[confectionery]] manufacturer headquartered in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota|Saint Paul]], [[Minnesota]]. Founded as a confectionery [[Distribution (business)|distribution]] firm in 1909, the company began to manufacture its own products in 1912. Originally a family-owned company, Pearson's experienced changes in ownership, acquisitions and product alterations in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s before its most recent sale to Brynwood Partners VI in August 2011.<ref name="bizj">{{cite web |url = http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/print-edition/2014/01/24/whats-after-bit-o-honey-maybe.html |title = Face Time: Pearson Candy Co. CEO Michael Keller |author = Halter, Nick |publisher= American City Business Journals. | |
'''Pearson's Candy Company''' is an American [[chocolate]] and [[confectionery]] manufacturer headquartered in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota|Saint Paul]], [[Minnesota]]. Founded as a confectionery [[Distribution (business)|distribution]] firm in 1909, the company began to manufacture its own products in 1912. Originally a family-owned company, Pearson's experienced changes in ownership, acquisitions and product alterations in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s before its most recent sale to Brynwood Partners VI in August 2011.<ref name="bizj">{{cite web |url = http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/print-edition/2014/01/24/whats-after-bit-o-honey-maybe.html |title = Face Time: Pearson Candy Co. CEO Michael Keller |author = Halter, Nick |publisher = American City Business Journals. |accessdate = 2017-01-31 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150815061812/http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/print-edition/2014/01/24/whats-after-bit-o-honey-maybe.html |archive-date = 2015-08-15 |dead-url = no |df = }}</ref> |
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Pearson's products are produced on five production lines in the company’s Saint Paul plant. The company sells its Mint Patties, [[Salted Nut Roll]], and [[Bit-O-Honey]] nationally and its [[Nut Goodie]] and [[Bun Bars]] products in several [[Midwest]]ern states. As of 2018, Pearson's was estimated to be the 42nd largest confectionery company in North America by revenue.<ref name="candy2018"/> |
Pearson's products are produced on five production lines in the company’s Saint Paul plant. The company sells its Mint Patties, [[Salted Nut Roll]], and [[Bit-O-Honey]] nationally and its [[Nut Goodie]] and [[Bun Bars]] products in several [[Midwest]]ern states. As of 2018, Pearson's was estimated to be the 42nd largest confectionery company in North America by revenue.<ref name="candy2018"/> |
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===Pearson family=== |
===Pearson family=== |
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[[File:Salted-Nut-Roll-Split.jpg|thumb|alt=A bifurcated candy bar displaying a white nougat center surround by caramel, thickly encrusted with peanuts|The Salted Nut Roll is Pearson's flagship product.<ref name="mnpst">{{cite web |url = https://www.minnpost.com/twin-cities-business/2013/02/minnesota-sweet-spot-candy-makers |title = Minnesota is a sweet spot for candy makers |author = Howard, Fran |publisher= MinnPost | |
[[File:Salted-Nut-Roll-Split.jpg|thumb|alt=A bifurcated candy bar displaying a white nougat center surround by caramel, thickly encrusted with peanuts|The Salted Nut Roll is Pearson's flagship product.<ref name="mnpst">{{cite web |url = https://www.minnpost.com/twin-cities-business/2013/02/minnesota-sweet-spot-candy-makers |title = Minnesota is a sweet spot for candy makers |author = Howard, Fran |publisher = MinnPost |accessdate = 2017-02-01 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170202145334/https://www.minnpost.com/twin-cities-business/2013/02/minnesota-sweet-spot-candy-makers |archive-date = 2017-02-02 |dead-url = no |df = }}</ref>]] |
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Pearson's Candy Company was founded as a confectionery distribution firm in 1909 by P. Edward Pearson and his brothers, John and Oscar. Two more brothers, Waldemar and C. Fritz, joined the company several years later.<ref name="pearsons">{{cite web|url=http://www.pearsonscandy.com/about_us.cfm |title=About Us |author=Pearson's Candy Company |accessdate=2008-01-01 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070628015159/http://www.pearsonscandy.com/about_us.cfm |archivedate=June 28, 2007 }}</ref> The five brothers determined manufacturing would be more profitable than distribution and, in 1912, introduced their first confection, the [[Nut Goodie]].<ref name="candy">Kimmerle, pp. 138–139</ref> |
Pearson's Candy Company was founded as a confectionery distribution firm in 1909 by P. Edward Pearson and his brothers, John and Oscar. Two more brothers, Waldemar and C. Fritz, joined the company several years later.<ref name="pearsons">{{cite web|url=http://www.pearsonscandy.com/about_us.cfm |title=About Us |author=Pearson's Candy Company |accessdate=2008-01-01 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070628015159/http://www.pearsonscandy.com/about_us.cfm |archivedate=June 28, 2007 }}</ref> The five brothers determined manufacturing would be more profitable than distribution and, in 1912, introduced their first confection, the [[Nut Goodie]].<ref name="candy">Kimmerle, pp. 138–139</ref> |
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===Current products=== |
===Current products=== |
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[[File:Nut-Goodie-Bar.jpg|thumb|alt=Two views of a candy bar: the left-most whole showing a chocolate covered mound with protruding nuts and the right-most a half showing a nougat base topped with peanuts and both covered in chocolate.|A Pearson's Nut Goodie]] |
[[File:Nut-Goodie-Bar.jpg|thumb|alt=Two views of a candy bar: the left-most whole showing a chocolate covered mound with protruding nuts and the right-most a half showing a nougat base topped with peanuts and both covered in chocolate.|A Pearson's Nut Goodie]] |
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Salted Nut Rolls are the company's best selling product,<ref name="twin">{{cite web |url = http://www.twincities.com/2013/04/30/st-pauls-pearson-candy-co-acquires-bit-o-honey/ |title = St. Paul’s Pearson Candy Co. acquires Bit-O-Honey |author = Pioneer Press |publisher= Digital First Media | |
Salted Nut Rolls are the company's best selling product,<ref name="twin">{{cite web |url = http://www.twincities.com/2013/04/30/st-pauls-pearson-candy-co-acquires-bit-o-honey/ |title = St. Paul’s Pearson Candy Co. acquires Bit-O-Honey |author = Pioneer Press |publisher = Digital First Media |accessdate = 2017-01-31 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170202093145/http://www.twincities.com/2013/04/30/st-pauls-pearson-candy-co-acquires-bit-o-honey/ |archive-date = 2017-02-02 |dead-url = no |df = }}</ref> and together with Mint Patties account for approximately 80 percent of the company’s sales.<ref name="industry"/> Mint Patties are sold nationally and Salted Nut Rolls are available in approximately 60 percent of the company's outlets. In late 2013, Pearson's acquired the [[Bit-O-Honey]] brand from Nestle USA, Inc.<ref name="star">{{cite web |url = http://www.startribune.com/may-2-pearson-candy-buys-bit-o-honey-brand/205594251/ |title = St. Paul's Pearson Candy buys Bit-O-Honey brand |author = Hughlett, Mike |publisher = Star Tribune Media Company LLC. |accessdate = 2017-01-31 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180719174018/http://www.startribune.com/may-2-pearson-candy-buys-bit-o-honey-brand/205594251/ |archive-date = 2018-07-19 |dead-url = no |df = }}</ref> Although the company sells its products primarily in the United States, it has ranked among the largest confectionery companies in the world,<ref name="global">{{cite journal|last=Rogers |first=Paul |title=Income generation gap. (Top 100 Global Confectionery Companies) |journal=Candy Industry |publisher=The Gale Group, Inc. |date=January 1, 2003 |url=http://www.allbusiness.com/wholesale-trade/merchant-wholesalers-nondurable/448996-1.html |accessdate=2008-03-19 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221070049/http://www.allbusiness.com/wholesale-trade/merchant-wholesalers-nondurable/448996-1.html |archivedate=2008-02-21 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref> and as of 2018, was estimated to be the 42nd largest confectionery company in North America by revenue.<ref name="candy2018"/> |
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Pearson's utilizes 200 tons of [[peanut]]s, 400 tons of [[sugar]], 100 tons of [[chocolate]] and 350 tons of [[corn syrup]] per month. Products are produced in the company’s {{convert|120000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} plant on five production lines.<ref name="pm">{{cite web |url = http://pm-mn.com/2014/11/made-in-minnesota-pearsons-candy/ |title = Made In Minnesota: Pearson’s Candy |author = Kyle, B |publisher= Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association. | |
Pearson's utilizes 200 tons of [[peanut]]s, 400 tons of [[sugar]], 100 tons of [[chocolate]] and 350 tons of [[corn syrup]] per month. Products are produced in the company’s {{convert|120000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} plant on five production lines.<ref name="pm">{{cite web |url = http://pm-mn.com/2014/11/made-in-minnesota-pearsons-candy/ |title = Made In Minnesota: Pearson’s Candy |author = Kyle, B |publisher = Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association. |accessdate = 2017-01-31 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150221101733/http://pm-mn.com/2014/11/made-in-minnesota-pearsons-candy/ |archive-date = 2015-02-21 |dead-url = no |df = }}</ref> Current products include: |
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Revision as of 18:01, 1 August 2018
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| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Confectionery/Chocolate |
| Founded | 1909 |
| Founder | P. Edward Pearson |
| Headquarters | |
Key people | Michael Keller, CEO[1] |
| Products | See products section |
| Revenue | $89,000,000[2] |
| Owner | Brynwood Partners |
Number of employees | >200[1] |
| Website | www |
Pearson's Candy Company is an American chocolate and confectionery manufacturer headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded as a confectionery distribution firm in 1909, the company began to manufacture its own products in 1912. Originally a family-owned company, Pearson's experienced changes in ownership, acquisitions and product alterations in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s before its most recent sale to Brynwood Partners VI in August 2011.[3]
Pearson's products are produced on five production lines in the company’s Saint Paul plant. The company sells its Mint Patties, Salted Nut Roll, and Bit-O-Honey nationally and its Nut Goodie and Bun Bars products in several Midwestern states. As of 2018, Pearson's was estimated to be the 42nd largest confectionery company in North America by revenue.[2]
History
Pearson family
Pearson's Candy Company was founded as a confectionery distribution firm in 1909 by P. Edward Pearson and his brothers, John and Oscar. Two more brothers, Waldemar and C. Fritz, joined the company several years later.[5] The five brothers determined manufacturing would be more profitable than distribution and, in 1912, introduced their first confection, the Nut Goodie.[6]
Pearson's grew and began manufacturing for other companies, including Whitmans and Planters. Pearson's introduced the Salted Nut Roll in 1933, at the height of The Great Depression.[6] The success of the Salted Nut Roll prompted other manufacturers to mimic the confection. Pearson's subsequently changed the roll's name to the Choo Choo Bar, to distinguish the product. The Choo Choo name, however, was not as successful, and the original name was restored with the Pearson's logo more prominently displayed.[5]
By the end of World War II, the Pearson brothers had dropped the distribution aspect of the business. The youngest brother, William Pearson, joined the family business in 1944, as did George Pearson, son of founder P. Edward Pearson. In 1951, Pearson's acquired the Trudeau Candy Company, which brought Mint Patties and the Seven Up bar to Pearson's product line. The company moved to a new manufacturing plant at its current address in 1959.[6] In 1962, Pearson’s acquired Milwaukee-based Sperry Candy Company, a company known for its Chicken Dinner Bar. Pearson's, however, sold Sperry Candy to the Schuler Chocolate Factory of Winona, Minnesota five years later.[7]
Ownership changes
The Pearson family sold the company in 1968 to ITT/Continental Baking, a New York firm. ITT/Continental Baking sold the company to an out-of-state confectionery partnership in 1979. During this time, sales declined due to problems with availability and product changes, such as a wrapper redesign and recipe change of the Nut Goodie.[5]
In 1985, the company was purchased by Larry Hassler and Judith Johnston. The company’s previous owners had split up, causing the bank to offer the company in the leveraged buyout. The Nut Goodie's original wrapper and recipe were restored and, despite the loss of a label contract with General Mills to produce Nature Valley granola bars, which accounted for 1.4 million bars daily and 85 percent of the company's total tonnage, Pearson's became profitable again in December 1992.[8] In early 1998, Pearson's acquired the Bun Bar trademark from Clark Bar America. Pearson's introduced Flurries in 2004.[5]
In August 2011, Pearson's was acquired by Brynwood Partners IV.[3]
Products
Current products
Salted Nut Rolls are the company's best selling product,[9] and together with Mint Patties account for approximately 80 percent of the company’s sales.[8] Mint Patties are sold nationally and Salted Nut Rolls are available in approximately 60 percent of the company's outlets. In late 2013, Pearson's acquired the Bit-O-Honey brand from Nestle USA, Inc.[10] Although the company sells its products primarily in the United States, it has ranked among the largest confectionery companies in the world,[11] and as of 2018, was estimated to be the 42nd largest confectionery company in North America by revenue.[2]
Pearson's utilizes 200 tons of peanuts, 400 tons of sugar, 100 tons of chocolate and 350 tons of corn syrup per month. Products are produced in the company’s 120,000 sq ft (11,000 m2) plant on five production lines.[12] Current products include:
| Product | Introduced | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bit-O-Honey | 1924 | Almond bits embedded in a honey-flavored taffy |
| Bun Bars | 1998 | Maple, vanilla or caramel center covered with chocolate and peanuts |
| Mint Patties | 1951 | Mint-flavored patty covered with dark chocolate |
| Nut Goodie | 1912 | Cluster with a maple-flavored center covered with chocolate and peanuts |
| Salted Nut Roll | 1933 | Roll of nougat covered with caramel and salted peanuts |
Discontinued products
Seven Up Bar
The Seven Up Bar was a candy bar comprising seven different chocolate "pillows", each filled with a different flavor. Flavors changed with the availability and popularity of ingredients, which included, among others, brazil nut, buttercream, butterscotch, caramel, cherry, coconut, fudge, mint, nougat and orange.[6] The high manufacturing costs and trademark issues with a soda manufacturer (The American Bottling Company, today Cadbury Schweppes), caused the bar to be retired in 1979.[13]
Chicken Dinner Bar
The Chicken Dinner Bar had been a product of the Sperry Candy Company, which was acquired by Pearson’s in 1962. The bar, introduced during The Great Depression, was so called in reference to President Herbert Hoover’s promise of “a chicken in every pot”.[14] The bar did not contain chicken or other poultry products, but was, rather, a chocolate-covered nut roll. Pearson’s discontinued the bar’s production after the acquisition.[13] Early TV commercials sang "Chick - Chick - Chick - Chick - Chicken Dinner" similar to, and in the cadence of a rooster crowing.
See also
Notes
- ^ a b Nelson, Julie Nelson and Young, Jennifer. "MN's iconic candy company Pearson's launches new brand". KARE-TV (Tegna, Inc.). Retrieved 2017-01-31.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c Pacyniak, Bernie. "Sweet 60 2018: The top candy companies in North America". BNP Media. Archived from the original on 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2018-07-19.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Halter, Nick. "Face Time: Pearson Candy Co. CEO Michael Keller". American City Business Journals. Archived from the original on 2015-08-15. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Howard, Fran. "Minnesota is a sweet spot for candy makers". MinnPost. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-02-01.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d Pearson's Candy Company. "About Us". Archived from the original on June 28, 2007. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d Kimmerle, pp. 138–139
- ^ Moskowitz, Dara (1998-12-23). "The Ghost of Candy Bars Past". City Pages. Archived from the original on 2001-03-02. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Pacyniak, Bernard. "On A Roll". BNP Media. Retrieved 2008-01-01. [dead link]
- ^ Pioneer Press. "St. Paul's Pearson Candy Co. acquires Bit-O-Honey". Digital First Media. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Hughlett, Mike. "St. Paul's Pearson Candy buys Bit-O-Honey brand". Star Tribune Media Company LLC. Archived from the original on 2018-07-19. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Rogers, Paul (January 1, 2003). "Income generation gap. (Top 100 Global Confectionery Companies)". Candy Industry. The Gale Group, Inc. Archived from the original on 2008-02-21. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Kyle, B. "Made In Minnesota: Pearson's Candy". Minnesota Precision Manufacturing Association. Archived from the original on 2015-02-21. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|dead-url=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Lewis, p. 68
- ^ Hale, p. 55
Bibliography
- Hale, James (2006). The Wonderful Wacky World of Marketingmobiles. Veloce Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84584-003-8.
- Kimmerle, Beth (2003). Candy: The Sweet History. Collectors Press, Inc. ISBN 1-888054-83-2.
- Lewis, Matt (2004). Chocolate Bar. Running Press. ISBN 0-7624-1921-0.
