H. B. Reese facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
H. B. Reese Sr
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Photo of H. B. Reese
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| Born |
Harry Burnett Reese Sr
May 24, 1879 |
| Died | May 16, 1956 (aged 76) West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
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| Resting place | Hershey Cemetery, Hershey, PA |
| Other names | HB, Harry Reese, Poppy Reese, Mr. Reese's |
| Occupation | Chocolatier/Confectioner |
| Known for | Inventing Reese's Peanut Butter Cups |
| Title | Founder and Chairman of the Board, H. B. Reese Candy Company, Hershey, PA |
| Spouse(s) |
Blanche Edna Hyson
(m. 1900) |
| Children | 16 |
Ever wondered who invented those delicious Reese's Peanut Butter Cups? Meet Harry Burnett Reese Sr. (May 24, 1879 – May 16, 1956), the amazing American inventor and businessman behind one of the most popular candies in the United States! He founded the H. B. Reese Candy Company and created the famous peanut butter and chocolate treat. His work was so important that in 2009, he was honored by being added to the Candy Hall of Fame.
Contents
Early Life and Creative Ideas
Harry Burnett Reese was born on May 24, 1879, on a farm in York County, Pennsylvania. Even as a young man, Reese was full of creative ways to earn money. He farmed the land and milked cows, which was a quick way to get cash. He even built a pond to raise frogs, which he sold to restaurants! By 1898, he was also a talented French horn player, performing with local bands.
Family Life
On August 1, 1900, Reese married Blanche Edna Hyson. They had a very large family with 16 children – 8 daughters and 8 sons! Thirteen of their children grew up to be adults. Family was very important to Reese. His mother and her sisters lived with him for the rest of their lives. A typical family dinner at the Reese home often included at least 20 people, and sometimes more than 40!
Starting Out in Business
Reese tried different jobs to support his growing family. In 1903, he helped manage the fishing business at his father-in-law's cannery in Ditchley, Virginia. Later, in 1912, he managed a dairy farm in Woodbine, Pennsylvania. To better support his family, he took a factory job in New Freedom, Pennsylvania in 1915.
Working for Mr. Hershey
In 1916, Reese saw an advertisement from Milton S. Hershey, the founder of The Hershey Company. Mr. Hershey was looking for people to manage his many dairy farms near Hershey, Pennsylvania. Reese was hired in 1917 to work as a dairyman.
In 1918, Mr. Hershey asked Reese to manage an experimental dairy farm called the Round Barn. Mr. Hershey visited this farm often because it used new milking machines and explored new ways to care for animals and produce milk. However, the Round Barn was too expensive to run, and it closed in 1919.
Early Candy Businesses
After losing his job with Mr. Hershey, Reese decided to start his own candy business in 1919. He called it the R&R Candy Company and operated it from an old canning factory in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania. He made milk chocolate-covered almonds and raisins, selling them to local stores.
Trying to Grow: Superior Chocolate and Confectionery Company
Reese knew he needed better equipment to make more candy. In January 1920, he renamed his company the Superior Chocolate and Confectionery Company. He raised money by selling stock in the new company. Even with a state charter issued on May 14, 1920, the business didn't succeed.
With 10 children and another baby on the way, Reese took on multiple jobs to make ends meet. He worked at a paper mill in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, and also worked as a butcher and canned vegetables.
Working at the Hershey Factory and Making Candy at Home
In 1921, Reese's father-in-law bought a house for his family in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Reese returned to Hershey and started working in the shipping department at The Hershey Company factory. He was soon promoted to foreman.
But Reese didn't stop there! In his spare time, he made candy in the basement of his home. He created many different treats, including hard candy, chocolate-covered nuts and raisins, and mints. He also invented two popular milk chocolate-covered caramel-coconut candy bars:
- The Lizzie Bar, named after his oldest daughter, Mary Elizabeth.
- The Johnny Bar, named after his son, John, who helped him at the Hershey factory.
Both bars used fresh grated coconut, caramel, molasses, cocoa butter, and honey. The Johnny Bar also included nuts. From the very beginning, Reese used chocolate made by The Hershey Company for his candy coatings.
Reese's candy business from his basement became so successful that he was able to quit his factory job at The Hershey Company and focus on making candy full-time!
The H. B. Reese Candy Company
Reese officially started the H. B. Reese Candy Company in 1923. He sold a wide variety of candies. His employees would hand-coat each piece of candy on marble slabs, using both milk chocolate and dark chocolate. These candies were then placed in two-pound and five-pound boxes for sale in department stores.
To attract customers, Reese would set up special tables in the front windows of large department stores. His employees would coat candies right there, in full view of shoppers, while others handed out fresh samples!
Here are some of the candies the H. B. Reese Candy Company made early on, using fresh ingredients like real cocoa butter, fresh cream, fresh grated coconut, and freshly roasted peanuts:
| Butter cream | Marshmallow |
| Butterscotch | Marshmallow-Nut* |
| Chocolate Jets* | Nougat* |
| Coated Dates* | Nuttees* |
| Coconut Caramel* | Peanut Butter Cups* |
| Coconut Cream* | Peanut Clusters* |
| Cream Caramel | Peppermint Cream* |
| Honey Dew Coconut* | Raisin Clusters* |
Note: *These 12 candies were sold in five-pound boxes during the holiday season.
In 1926, Reese borrowed money to build a large home and a new factory next to each other in Hershey, Pennsylvania. By 1935, he had 62 employees, plus his 6 sons working for him. He was so successful that he paid off all his loans, even during the Great Depression when chocolate was considered a luxury!
The Famous Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
By 1928, Harry and Blanche had 16 children. That same year, Reese invented Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! He got the idea when a customer mentioned having trouble getting a candy with peanut butter covered in chocolate from another company. Reese created a way to make them automatically, and the candy quickly became part of his chocolate line.
Soon, the company was packaging 120 individually wrapped cups per box, selling for just a penny each. Each wrapper proudly said: "Made in Chocolate Town, So They Must Be Good". The sales of these penny peanut butter cups helped Reese pay off his house and factory loans by 1935.
The Reese's Peanut Butter Cups became incredibly popular. During World War II, it was hard to get materials, so Reese decided to focus only on the Peanut Butter Cups. In 1943, a five-cent cup was introduced. As new packaging machines and factory automation were added, sales of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups doubled every four years!
Before Reese passed away in 1956, he started building a second, even bigger factory in Hershey. This new plant, finished in 1957, was 100,000 square feet and had the latest manufacturing technology. At that time, sales of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were huge!
Death
H. B. Reese passed away from a heart attack on May 16, 1956, just eight days before his 77th birthday. He was vacationing in West Palm Beach, Florida, at the time.
A Sweet Legacy
Seven years after H. B. Reese's death, on July 2, 1963, his six sons merged the H. B. Reese Candy Company with The Hershey Company. This was a big deal because sales of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were still growing fast. The Reese brothers' original shares in Hershey have grown to be worth billions of dollars today!
At the time of the merger, the H. B. Reese Candy Company was celebrating its 40th Anniversary and had just added even more manufacturing space to its factory. Just six years after the merger, in 1969, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups became the best-selling product for The Hershey Company!
As of 2012, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were the number one selling candy brand in the United States. The H. B. Reese Candy Company plant also started making the Kit Kat bar for sale in the U.S., which became another top-selling candy. Harry Burnett Reese Sr.'s invention truly left a sweet mark on the world!
See also
