Elmer Chocolate 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 |
Elmer Candy Corporation is a company that makes delicious candies. It started way back in 1855 as the Miller Candy Company in New Orleans, Louisiana. Today, Elmer's is famous for its special holiday candies. In 2014, it was one of the biggest makers of Valentine's Day chocolates in North America!
Contents
The Sweet History of Elmer's
How It All Began
The company's story began in 1855. A German immigrant named Christopher Henry Miller started the Miller Candy Company 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. Then, 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. It was called Elmer's Fine Foods. This company was made to sell the new cheese curls. However, the brothers kept running 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. 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 factory in New Orleans was not big enough. So, the Nelsons moved their company about 60 miles (97 km) northwest. They moved to Ponchatoula, Louisiana. To compete with bigger chocolate companies, the Nelsons focused on holiday chocolates. They made special candies for Valentine's Day, Easter, and Christmas. These candies were sold in their local area. By 2004, Robert Nelson, Allan's son, became the president of Elmer Candy Corporation.
Delicious Elmer's Products
Elmer's makes many tasty treats. Here are some of their most popular candies:
- Heavenly Hash Egg: This candy has a soft marshmallow center. Inside the marshmallow are two roasted almonds. The whole thing is covered in yummy 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's even a dark chocolate version of the original!
- Gold Brick Egg: This candy first came out in 1936. It's a milk chocolate bar with small pieces of chopped pecans. There are two other versions too. One is dark chocolate. The other is milk chocolate with bits of malted milk.
- Pecan Egg: This egg has a soft nougat center. It's covered in sweet caramel and chopped pecans.
- Boxed Chocolates: Elmer's offers boxes of chocolates with five different flavors. These include caramel in a milk chocolate shell, strawberry creme covered in milk chocolate, and raspberry chocolate truffle in a dark chocolate shell. There's also chocolate fudge covered in milk chocolate, and orange creme in a dark chocolate shell.
- Gold Brick Topping: This is a milk chocolate sauce with bits of pecan. It's special because it's the only Elmer's product you can buy all year long!
Images for kids
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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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Dark Chocolate Gold Brick wrap
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Dark Chocolate Gold Brick egg
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Pecan Egg wrap
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Pecan Egg
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Valentine boxed chocolates
See also
