Elmer Candy Corporation facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1855 |
| Headquarters | Ponchatoula, Louisiana |
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Key people
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Robert Nelson, President |
| Products | Confectionery |
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Number of employees
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164 in 2014 |
The Elmer Candy Corporation is a company that makes delicious candies. It was started way back in 1855 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This company is famous for its seasonal holiday candies. In 2014, it was the second-largest maker of Valentine boxed chocolates in North America!
Contents
The Sweet History of Elmer Candy
How It All Started
In 1855, a man from Germany named Christopher Henry Miller began the Miller Candy Company. He started it in New Orleans. Later, Augustus Elmer married Miller's daughter. Because of this, the company's name changed in the early 1900s. It became the Miller-Elmer Candy Corporation. Around 1914, Elmer's five sons joined the business. That's when the company officially became Elmer Candy Corporation.
From Candy to CheeWees
In 1936, the Elmer brothers created a new snack. It was a cheese curl made from cornmeal. They held a contest in New Orleans to name this new product. The winning name was CheeWees! In 1946, a new company was formed called Elmer's Fine Foods. This company was made to sell the CheeWees. However, the brothers continued to run Elmer Candy Corporation for their chocolate business.
New Owners and a New Home
In 1963, a man named Roy Nelson bought Elmer Candy Corporation. He also bought the trademark name CheeWees from the Elmer family. The Elmer family kept control of Elmer's Fine Foods. They continued to sell their cheese curls under different names.
Roy Nelson asked his son, Allan, to help manage the company. In 1970, the old candy factory in New Orleans was not modern enough. So, the Nelsons moved their company about 60 miles (97 km) northwest. They moved it to Ponchatoula, Louisiana. To compete with bigger chocolate companies, the Nelsons focused on making seasonal chocolates. These were for holidays like Valentine's Day, Easter, and Christmas. By 2004, Robert Nelson, Allan's son, became the president of Elmer Candy Corporation.
Delicious Elmer Candy Products
Elmer Candy Corporation makes several popular treats. Here are some of their well-known products:
- Heavenly Hash Egg is a marshmallow candy. It has two roasted almonds inside. The outside is covered in milk chocolate. Elmer's got the recipe for Heavenly Hash in 1923 from a department store in New Orleans. Besides the original, they also make a strawberry marshmallow Heavenly Hash. There is also a dark chocolate version of the original.
- Gold Brick Egg was first made in 1936. It's a milk chocolate bar with small pieces of pecans. They also have two other kinds. One is dark chocolate, and another is milk chocolate with bits of malted milk.
- Pecan Egg has a soft nougat center. This center is covered in caramel and chopped pecans.
- Boxed chocolates come in five different flavors. These include caramel in a milk chocolate shell. There's also strawberry creme covered in milk chocolate. Another is a raspberry chocolate truffle in a dark chocolate shell. You can also find chocolate fudge covered in milk chocolate. Finally, there's orange creme in a dark chocolate shell.
- Gold Brick topping is a milk chocolate sauce. It has small pieces of pecan in it. This is the only product the company sells all year long.
Gallery
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Heavenly Hash wrap
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Heavenly Hash egg
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Gold Brick wrap
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Gold Brick egg
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Pecan Egg wrap
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Pecan Egg
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Valentine boxed chocolates
