Pearson's Candy Company facts for kids
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| Private company | |
| Industry | Confectionery/Chocolate |
| Founded | 1909 |
| Founder | P. Edward Pearson |
| Headquarters | |
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Key people
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Dan Lagermeier, CEO |
| Products | See products section |
| Revenue | $41,000,000 |
| Owner | Spell Capital |
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Number of employees
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145 |
Pearson's Candy Company makes yummy chocolate and other sweet treats! It's based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the USA. The company started in 1909, first selling candies made by others. By 1912, Pearson's began making its own delicious candies.
Over the years, Pearson's has changed owners a few times. But it has always kept making popular candies like Mint Patties and the Salted Nut Roll. These candies are sold all over the country. Other favorites, like the Nut Goodie and Bun Bars, are popular in the Midwest. In 2018, Pearson's was one of the biggest candy companies in North America.
Contents
The Sweet History of Pearson's Candy
How Pearson's Candy Started
Pearson's Candy Company was started in 1909 by P. Edward Pearson and his brothers, John and Oscar. Later, two more brothers, Waldemar and C. Fritz, joined them. At first, they just sold candies made by other companies.
But soon, the brothers realized it would be better to make their own candies. So, in 1912, they created their very first candy: the Nut Goodie.
Growing Bigger and New Candies
As Pearson's grew, they even made candies for other big companies like Whitmans. In 1933, during a tough time called The Great Depression, Pearson's introduced the Salted Nut Roll. This candy was a huge hit! Other companies tried to copy it.
To make their candy stand out, Pearson's briefly changed the name to "Choo Choo Bar." But people loved the original name, so they brought back "Salted Nut Roll" with the Pearson's logo shown clearly.
After World War II, the Pearson brothers stopped selling other companies' candies. They focused only on making their own. In 1951, Pearson's bought another company called Trudeau Candy Company. This added Mint Patties and the Seven Up bar to Pearson's candy list. In 1959, the company moved to its current factory in Saint Paul.
Changes in Ownership
The Pearson family sold the company in 1968 to a large company called ITT/Continental Baking. Later, in 1979, it was sold again to another candy group. During these years, sales went down because some candies, like the Nut Goodie, had their recipe changed or their wrappers redesigned.
In 1985, Larry Hassler and Judith Johnston bought Pearson's. They brought back the original Nut Goodie recipe and wrapper. Even though they lost a big contract to make granola bars for General Mills, Pearson's became successful again by 1992. In 1998, Pearson's also bought the rights to make Bun Bars. They also introduced a new candy called Flurries in 2004.
In 2011, a company called Brynwood Partners IV bought Pearson's. Then, in November 2018, they sold it to Spell Capital, another company from Minneapolis. Most recently, in 2022, Pearson's was sold to the Annabelle Candy Company in California.
Pearson's Delicious Products
Candies You Can Buy Today
The Salted Nut Roll is Pearson's most popular candy. Together with Mint Patties, they make up about 80 percent of all Pearson's sales! Mint Patties are sold everywhere in the USA. Salted Nut Rolls are available in many stores across the country.
In late 2013, Pearson's also bought the Bit-O-Honey candy brand. However, in December 2020, Pearson's sold the Bit-O-Honey brand to Spangler Candy Company.
Pearson's uses a lot of ingredients every month! They use 200 tons of peanuts, 400 tons of sugar, 100 tons of chocolate, and 350 tons of corn syrup. All their candies are made in their large 120,000 square foot factory in Saint Paul.
Here are some of the candies Pearson's makes now:
| Product | Started | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Bun Bars | 1998 | A candy with a maple, vanilla, or caramel center, covered in chocolate and peanuts. |
| Mint Patties | 1951 | A mint-flavored candy covered in dark chocolate. |
| Nut Goodie | 1912 | A candy cluster with a maple-flavored center, covered in chocolate and peanuts. |
| Salted Nut Roll | 1933 | A roll of soft nougat covered with caramel and salted peanuts. |
Candies No Longer Made
Seven Up Bar
The Seven Up Bar was a special candy bar with seven different chocolate "pillows." Each pillow had a different flavor inside! The flavors changed over time, but they included things like brazil nut, buttercream, butterscotch, caramel, cherry, coconut, fudge, mint, nougat, and orange. This bar was expensive to make. Also, there were some issues with its name because of a soda company. So, the Seven Up Bar was stopped in 1979.
Chicken Dinner Bar
The Chicken Dinner Bar was originally made by the Sperry Candy Company, which Pearson's bought in 1962. This bar was created during The Great Depression. Its name was a playful reference to a promise made by President Herbert Hoover about everyone having enough food. Don't worry, the bar did not actually have chicken in it! It was a chocolate-covered nut roll. Pearson's stopped making this bar after they bought the company.
See also
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