Reed's Candy

Reed's Candy Company
Industry Confectionery
Founded Chicago, Illinois, U.S. (1881)
Founder William Reed
Eugene Reed
Headquarters Iconic Candy
New York City
Website iconiccandy.com

Reed's Candy was a range of candies manufactured by The Reed's Candy Company in Chicago.

History

Reed's candy was produced in the United States for over 100 years.[1] The Reed's Candy Company is an American producer of confectionery, which was started by William and Eugene Reed, of Chicago. Together with their father, they founded the company in 1881 for the production and sale of butterscotch candies.[2]

Reed's candy ad from 1968

They expanded the candy line with their top selling product, the hard candy roll. The cooking process consisted of using copper kettles to boil butter, corn syrup and other ingredients to create an individually hard finished candy. Machinery was custom made to allow the product to go from the cooking phase directly into packaging. The pieces were packaged eight to a roll, with a cellophane button-wrapper to protect freshness.[2]

By 1921, the firm had become the largest manufacturer of butterscotch candy in the United States.[2] Other flavors included peppermint, root beer, licorice, cinnamon, spearmint, butter rum, and teaberry.[2][3] Lorillard Company purchased Reed's Candy in 1962, and operated it as a subsidiary. When Lorillard was bought by Loews Theatres, Inc several years later, Reed's Candy became a subsidiary of Loews. In February, 1972, Loews Corporation decided to concentrate only in the entertainment industry, and sold Reed's to H.P. Hood, Inc.[2]

Reed Candy's Chicago plant after it closed, April 1985. Note Reed sign near the entrance facing Fletcher Street, railroad tracks in foreground in Lakewood Avenue used by Milwaukee Road to deliver corn syrup and sugar to Reed before this plant closed.

In the 1980s, Reed's manufacturing facilities, were produced in a co-packing arrangement with Amurol Products, a subsidiary of Wrigley Gum.[2]

Current

Iconic Candy Company of New York, a Successor in interest of Reed Candy Company of Chicago, IL, is currently producing three original Reed's candy rolls in Butter Scotch, Root Beer and Cinnamon flavors.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Lazarus, George (March 21, 1989). "Reed Candy Looks For A Sweet Deal". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Historical Summary of Reed's Candy Company". Iconic Candy. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  3. ↑ Liebig, Jason (February 23, 2012). "From the time-machine – Reed's candy boxes from the 1970â€ēs.". CollectingCandy.com. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
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