Spangler Candy history

In 1910 Spangler expanded its facilities for the first time, moving to a larger building in Bryan.

Later in 1911, Spangler expanded its candy line with chocolates.

In 1914 Omar Spangler joined the company, bringing mechanical & bookkeeping knowledge.

Introduced during the war, the cough drops caught on during the widespread influenza epidemic of 1918.

It included a retail store, which was run by Truman Spangler, the fourth Spangler brother who joined the company in 1920.

1922: First hard candy and suckers are introduced.

Spangler produced Cocoanut Balls until around 1924.

1927: Spangler founds wholesaling subsidiary in Maumee, Ohio.

In 1929, partner Ernest Spangler moved to the Toledo area to run the wholesale unit there.

In 1931, it purchased the recipe and trademark for Hickok Honeycomb Chips, a popular crunchy toffee and chocolate candy manufactured by C.F. Hickok, another Ohio candy maker.

Omar Spangler’s son, Harlan, joined in 1933.

Spangler created their Marshmallow Circus Peanuts, their version of a popular penny candy, in 1940.

Special storage tanks for corn syrup, which were installed at the company in 1941, enabled Spangler to purchase large quantities of corn syrup when it was available on the market and to stockpile it.

1945: Founder Arthur Spangler dies in boating accident.

A state-of-the-art factory was built in 1947.

In 1948, a process was introduced which allowed liquid sugar to be pumped directly from rail sidings into special tanks on the factory’s second floor.

Spangler Candy purchased Dum-Dums in 1953 from Akron Candy and moved the operation to Bryan, Ohio where the famous pops are still made today.

Just one year later, in March 1954, Spangler made another major acquisition.

In 1955, Montgomery Ward’s candy cane giveaway at Christmas gave Spangler sales a boost.

When Ohio Confections went into liquidation in 1957 Spangler purchased the equipment and recipes for Pecan Divinity Fudge.

Spangler was there at the start of the space age in 1958 when it introduced Sputnik Pops, lollipops it produced in two cent and 29 cent sizes.

In the 15 years following World War II, annual sales increased every year and hit $4 million for the first time in 1959.

Another milestone was achieved in 1960 when the firm’s workers turned out 50 million tons of candy.

1965: American Mint Corp. of New York City is acquired.

Dum Dums were advertised for the first time on television in 1966.

1969 sales were $8 million, twice those of ten years earlier.

For a time, beginning in 1970, the darkening economy caused the Spangler family to consider going public with its enterprise.

By 1971 they had jumped to $10 million.

In spring 1972, the family shareholders met and formed a committee to report on the issue.

By April 1974, costs had risen so much that Spangler could no longer afford to produce one-cent Dum Dum suckers.

By 1977 Dum Dums were Spangler’s most popular product, accounting for 44 percent of all sales.

With consumer interest in sugar-free food on the rise, sugar-free Lite-Mints, introduced in 1978, took off rapidly.

The deal gave Spangler the two best-known lollipops in the United States, Dum Dums and Saf-T-Pops, and 1979 sales broke all records, reaching $20 million.

1980: The company acquires Standard the Candy Cane Company of Detroit, Michigan.

1987: Astro Pops brand is acquired from Nellson Candy Co. of Los Angeles, California.

Spangler next purchased Suck An Egg brand from Innovative Confections of Idaho in 1995.

Spangler reorganized its senior management team in October 1996.

After being named CEO in September 2000, Dean Spangler instituted an aggressive program of product expansion that focused on maximizing the strength of the Dum Dum sucker, the company's flagship brand, as well as pursuing other licensing deals like the successful Jelly Belly candy cane.

In June 2001, a fire thought to be arson struck a warehouse, destroying some 110,000 cases of Dum Dums, with an estimated value of $6.5 million.