Tootsie Roll Industries facts for kids
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| Public | |
| Traded as | NYSE: TR S&P 600 component |
| Industry | Confectionery |
| Founded | 1896 |
| Founder | Leo Hirschfeld |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois |
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Key people
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Ellen R. Gordon (President/CEO) |
| Products | Candy |
| Revenue |  US$769,365,000 (2023) |
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Operating income
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US$101,828,000 (2023) |
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Number of employees
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2,000 |
Tootsie Roll Industries is a famous American company that makes candy. It's based in Chicago, Illinois. You probably know their most popular candies: Tootsie Rolls and Tootsie Pops! This company sells its sweet treats all over the world, including in Canada, Mexico, and more than 75 other countries.
Contents
The Sweet Start of Tootsie Roll
The story of Tootsie Roll began in 1896. A man named Leo Hirschfeld, who came from Austria, started working at a small candy shop in New York City. In 1907, Leo wanted to create a chocolate-flavored candy. He wanted one that wouldn't melt easily in the heat. He also wanted it to be an affordable choice instead of regular chocolate.
How the Tootsie Roll Got Its Name
Leo named his new candy "Tootsie Roll" after his daughter, Clara. Her nickname was "Tootsie." By this time, the company had grown quite a bit. It had expanded into a large five-story factory. In 1917, the company's name changed to The Sweets Company of America. It became a public company, meaning its shares could be bought and sold on the stock market, in 1919.
New Candies and Wartime Treats
In 1931, a new candy was invented: the Tootsie Pop. This was a hard candy lollipop with a chewy Tootsie Roll inside. It quickly became very popular, especially during the Great Depression. This was a time when many people had little money, and the Tootsie Pop was a cheap treat. During World War II, Tootsie Rolls were an important part of American soldiers' food supplies. This was because the candy could last a long time in different weather conditions.
Changes in Leadership and Growth
By 1935, the company was facing some difficulties. A family named Rubin, who supplied paper boxes to Tootsie Roll, decided to help. They bought shares in the company and took control. Bernard D. Rubin became the president. He worked hard to make the company successful again. He even changed the Tootsie Roll recipe and made the candy bigger. The company also moved to a much larger factory in Hoboken, New Jersey. Bernard Rubin successfully led the company through the tough war years. When he passed away in 1948, sales had grown twelve times larger! His brother, William B. Rubin, then became president until 1962.
In 1962, William's daughter, Ellen Rubin Gordon, took over. She has been the Chairman and CEO of the company since 2015. Her husband, Melvin Gordon, was also a Chairman and CEO for many years before her. In 1966, the company officially changed its name to "Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc." Two years later, in 1968, its main office moved to Chicago.
Expanding the Candy Family
Over the years, Tootsie Roll Industries has bought several other famous candy brands. These include Mason Division in 1972, Cella's Confections in 1985, The Charms Company in 1988, and parts of Warner-Lambert's candy division in 1993. They also added Andes Candies in 2000 and Concord Confections in 2004. This helped them offer even more kinds of candy!
Recent Challenges and Future Plans
In 2024, Tootsie Roll Industries saw a small drop in its sales. This was because the cost of ingredients like cocoa and chocolate went up, making candy more expensive. To deal with these challenges, the company is now focusing more on its non-chocolate candies. For example, its Charms brand is investing a lot of money to make more Blow Pops. This shows how the company is adapting to keep making the candies we love.
Where Tootsie Rolls Are Made
The main office of Tootsie Roll Industries is in Chicago. Most of the company's candy is made there. They also have a factory in Mexico City. This factory makes some Tootsie Pop flavors and other candies for Mexico. These products are also sent to the U.S. and Canada. There's another candy factory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and one in Spain that makes candy for Canada.
Popular Tootsie Roll Candies
Tootsie Roll Industries makes many different kinds of candies. Here are some of their well-known brands and products:
- Andes Chocolate Mints
- Candy Blox
- Cella's chocolate-covered cherries
- Charleston Chew candy bars
- Charms Blow Pops and Caramel Apple Pops
- Child's Play assorted candies
- Dots gumdrops and Crows licorice candy
- Dubble Bubble, Thrills, Razzles, and Cry Baby chewing gum
- Fluffy Stuff cotton candy
- Frooties fruit-flavored chewy candy
- Junior Caramels
- Junior Mints
- Nik-L-Nip juice confection
- Polar Mint
- Sugar Daddy and Sugar Babies
- Tootsie Rolls and Tootsie Pops
- Wack-O-Wax, wax lip candy
External links
- Tootsie Roll Industries web site
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- Business data for Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc.: Google Finance
- Yahoo! Finance
- Bloomberg
- Reuters
- SEC filings
