Pearson Candy Company, Inc. facts for kids
The Pearson Candy Company, Inc. was a famous American candy company. It started in 1928 in Culver City, California. A man named Barney Pearson founded it. For 42 years, the company made over 30 different kinds of candies. The most well-known candy was the Pearson Nips. These candies are still made and sold today by Nestlé.
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History of Pearson Candy
The Pearson Candy Company, Inc. began in 1928. Its first location was in downtown Los Angeles. In 1955, the company moved to a bigger place in Culver City. This new spot was next to the famous Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie studio.
A Family Business Through Generations
The Pearson Candy Company was a family business that lasted for three generations.
- Barney Pearson started the company. He was an immigrant from Russia. He began by making candy by hand. He would twirl suckers and push wooden sticks into them. Barney worked hard through the tough times of the Great Depression. He passed away in 1940 when he was 54 years old.
- Ed Pearson was Barney's son. He joined the company in the late 1930s during the Great Depression. He helped his father keep the business going. It was hard to get sugar back then because it was rationed. Ed had to sell finished candy to get more sugar for production. After the economy got better, Ed traveled to Europe. He wanted to learn new ways to make candy. He became the company's President after his father passed away.
- Daniel Pearson was also Barney's son. He joined the company in 1945. He worked as the House Accountant and General Manager.
- Barry Pearson was Ed's son. He joined in 1964. Barry helped bring modern candy-making methods to the company. He worked on production, timing, and getting new machines. In 1970, Barry started his own company, Candy Sales Company Incorporated. He continued to sell Pearson candies to stores in Southern California for several years.
Delicious Candy Products
The Pearson Candy Company made more than 30 different types of sweets. These included lollipops, suckers, candy canes, and hand-wrapped candies. The popular Pearson Nip line of candies started in the early 1960s. The first one was the Coffee Nip. Later, they added Caramel Nip, Licorice Nip, and other flavors. The company even invented a special machine to shape their candies. They received a patent for it in 1961.
The Famous Pearson Coffee Nip
The Pearson Coffee Nip was a very special candy. Its recipe was created by Claude Barnett, a food chemist, and Dan Pearson. They got ideas from candy-making techniques in Europe. Dan Pearson wanted a candy that people could enjoy during a short break, like a coffee break. They worked on the coffee candy recipe without a fancy lab. They mixed a rich caramel with coffee until it tasted just right.
The unique way European candies were wrapped inspired the Coffee Nip's packaging. They used shiny gold foil and fancy clear wrappers. The original Coffee Nip wrappers were coffee brown and bright green. The foil inside made a third color.
Who Owned the Company?
The Pearson Candy Company changed owners a few times over the years.
- In 1968, the company was sold to W.R. Grace Company.
- In 1982, W.R. Grace Company sold Pearson Candy Company, Inc. to RJR Nabisco.
- In 1989, RJR Nabisco sold its candy businesses, including Pearson Candy Company, Inc., to Nestlé.
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