Pearson Candy Company, Inc. facts for kids

The Pearson Candy Company, Inc. was an American candy company. It was located in Culver City, California. Barney Pearson started the company in 1928.

For 42 years, the company made over 30 different kinds of candy. One of their most famous candies was the Pearson Nips Candy. You can still buy Nips candy today, as it is now made by Nestlé.

The Story 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 new, larger spot. This new home was in Culver City. It was even next to the famous Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie studio!

A Family Business Through the Years

The Pearson Candy Company was a family business for three generations.

Barney Pearson: The Founder

Barney Pearson came from Russia. He started the company by making candy by hand. He would twist suckers and push the wooden sticks into them. Barney worked hard through tough times, like the Great Depression. He passed away in 1940 when he was 54 years old.

Ed Pearson: Keeping the Business Going

Ed Pearson was Barney's son. He joined the company in the late 1930s during the Great Depression. It was a difficult time, and sugar was hard to get. Ed had to sell finished candy to get more sugar. This helped keep the company making candy. 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: Managing the Company

Daniel Pearson was also Barney's son. He joined the company in 1945. He worked as the House Accountant and General Manager.

Barry Pearson: Modernizing Candy Making

Barry Pearson was Ed's son. He joined the company in 1964. Barry helped bring modern ways of making candy to the company. He worked on production and getting new machines. In 1970, Barry started his own company. It was called Candy Sales Company Incorporated. He continued to sell Pearson candy in Southern California.

Delicious Candies Made by Pearson

Pearson Candy Company made more than 30 kinds of sweets. These included lollipops, suckers, and candy canes. They also made many hand-wrapped candies.

The Famous Pearson Nip Candies

The 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.

Pearson Coffee Nip: A Special Treat

The Pearson Coffee Nip was created by watching how candies were made in Europe. A food chemist named Claude Barnett and Dan Pearson worked together on the recipe. Dan Pearson wanted a candy that people could enjoy during a short break, like a coffee break.

They didn't have a fancy lab. Instead, they tested different coffee candy recipes in small batches. Claude mixed a special caramel with coffee until it tasted just right.

The unique wrappers on European candies gave them an idea. They decided to use shiny gold foil and fancy cellophane for the Coffee Nip wrappers. The first Coffee Nip wrappers were coffee brown and chartreuse green. They had a foil inner wrap that added a third color.

Who Owned Pearson Candy?

Over the years, the Pearson Candy Company changed owners several times:

• In 1968, W.R. Grace Company bought Pearson Candy Company, Inc.
• In 1982, RJR Nabisco bought W.R. Grace Company's candy businesses, including Pearson Candy Company, Inc.
• In 1989, Nestlé bought the candy businesses from RJR Nabisco. This included Pearson Candy Company, Inc.