Reed's Candy facts for kids
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| Industry | Confectionery |
|---|---|
| Founded | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. (1893) |
| Founder | William Reed Eugene Reed |
| Headquarters | Iconic Candy New York City |
Reed's Candy was a popular type of candy made by The Reed's Candy Company in Chicago. It was known for its hard candy rolls and unique flavors.
Contents
The Sweet Start: How Reed's Candy Began
Reed's candy was made in the United States for over 100 years! The Reed's Candy Company was an American company that made sweets. It was started by two brothers, William and Eugene Reed, in Chicago.
Founding the Company
The Reed brothers, along with their father, began the company in 1893. Their first candies were delicious butterscotch treats.
Making the Famous Hard Candy Rolls
Soon, they added their most popular product: the hard candy roll. To make these candies, they used special copper kettles. They would boil butter, corn syrup, and other ingredients together. This process created each hard, individual candy.
They even had custom-made machines. These machines took the candy right from cooking to packaging. Each roll had eight pieces of candy. A special cellophane wrapper kept them fresh.
Growing Bigger and Adding Flavors
By 1921, Reed's Candy Company was the biggest maker of butterscotch candy in the United States. They also made many other yummy flavors. These included peppermint, root beer, licorice, cinnamon, spearmint, butter rum, and teaberry.
A Journey Through Different Owners
Over the years, Reed's Candy Company was owned by several different companies.
Changes in Ownership
In 1962, a company called Lorillard Company bought Reed's Candy. Reed's then became a smaller part of Lorillard. A few years later, Loews Theatres, Inc bought Lorillard. This made Reed's Candy a part of Loews.
In 1972, Loews Corporation decided to focus only on entertainment. So, they sold Reed's to H.P. Hood, Inc. In 1973, Reed's also bought another company called Clark Gum.
The Company's Challenges
In 1981, H.P. Hood sold Reed's. The next year, Reed's Candy Company had to close down for a short time.
However, in 1983, the company's former president bought it back. Production started again! In the 1980s, another company, Amurol Products, helped make Reed's gum. Amurol bought Reed's in 1989. They stopped making Reed's candy in 2006.
Reed's Candy Today
Good news for candy lovers! The Iconic Candy Company, based in New York, now makes Reed's candy.
What's Available Now
They produce four of the original Reed's candy roll flavors. These are butterscotch, root beer, cinnamon, and peppermint. They also make 4-ounce bags of individually wrapped hard candies. You can find these in cinnamon, butterscotch, and root beer flavors.
