Candy Industry articles from May 2003

Candy Industry archives from May 2003

Early midsummer musings. (Opening Shots).(candy industry outlook)
May 1, 2003... So if it's June, I mean May this year, it must be the All Candy Expo show in Chicago. And yes, even though the U.S. confectionery industry's largest display of all things candy happens to be a month earlier this year, the first four and a half...

Washington's legislators seek to tax candy and gum ... (Newsletter).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... As part of an effort to resolve a $2.6-billion budget gap, Washington's House of Representatives narrowly passed a $23-billion state budget that, among other revenue enhancing measures, removes the current tax exemption on candy and gum....

... But new budget measure faces Senate opposition. (Newsletter).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The main budget measure, which was narrowly passed by a vote of 50-48 by the state representatives at the end of April, still faces committee reconciliation efforts since the Senate passed a different budget bill. Since neither the House nor...

Nestle Malaysia shuts down sugar confectionery business. (Newsletter).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Citing "a strenuous drain on operating profits," Swiss parent Nestle decided to close down its two Malaysian subsidiaries, Nestle Products Sdn Bhd and Nestle Foods (Malaysia) Bhd, on May 1. Nestle Products Sdn Bhd handled all sales, marketing...

Arcor sweetens Los Angeles' Cinco de Mayo celebration. (Newsletter).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Miami-based Arcor USA joined Los Angeles' largest family street party by giving out hundreds of thousands of free samples at Fiesta Broadway LA on April 27th. Hosted by All Access Entertainment and the city, Fiesta Broadway LA draws more than...

Korea's Haitai teams up with Japan's Calbee Foods. (Newsletter).(Haitai Confectionary & Foods Co. forms strategic alliance)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Seeking to take advantage of Calbee Foods' cutting edge technology in snack food production, Haitai Confectionery & Foods Co. has entered into a strategic alliance with the Japanese snack giant. Seoul-based Haitai, which posted $500 million in...

Candy tops consumers' choice for Easter gifts. (Newsletter).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... According to a recent survey by the National Retail Federation, nearly eight out of 10 Americans celebrated Easter. Those doing so said they would spend on average $102.76, with nearly 80% indicating that they would purchase candy. Food...

Judge gives Kmart okay to turn 'Bluelight' back on. (Newsletter).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... On April 23rd, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Susan Pierson Sonderby approved Kmart's reorganization plan, thus enabling the Detroit-based mass merchandiser to emerge from bankruptcy May 5, more than 15 months after it filed for Chapter 11 protection....

NBFD execs launch Avistar. (Newsletter).(new company )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Executives from Taylor, Mich.-based National Bulk Food Distributors (NBFD) have launched a new candy development and marketing company dubbed Avistar. Avi Brandvain, president of NBFD, will head up the new organization, which looks to develop...

Alpine Confections poised to rescue Harry London. (Newsletter).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Harry London Candies Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 protection in mid-January, signed off on a letter of intent late April that would effectively make it a subsidiary of Salt Lake City-based Alpine Confections. Subject to bankruptcy court...

Archibald Candy puts Laura Secord on the block. (Candy News).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... In a move that's expected to provide a fresh infusion of capital, Chicago-based Archibald Candy Corp. has puts its Laura Secord business up for sale. Well known throughout Canada as a marketer and retailer of boxed chocolates, scooped ice cream...

Alfa Laval, Inc. (People on the Move).(appointment )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Zino Lappas has joined Pleasant Prairie, Wis.-based Alfa Laval, Inc. as national sales manager.

Barry Callebaut North America. (People on the Move).(appointments )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Barry Callebaut North America, with offices in St. Hacinthe, Quebec, Canada, and Pennsauken, N.J., has appointed Sylive Morisset as new business development manager and Benson Jung as marketing manager.

Charles Hansen. (People on the Move).(appointment )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Kristin Gross has joined Milwaukee-based Charles Hansen as sales manager--human health and nutrition.

Chocolics Divine Desserts. (People on the Move).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Chocolics Divine Desserts added three new staff members: Michelle Zapata, accounting manager; Rana Reyes, customer service representative; and Rebecca Romero, sales and marketing manager.

David Michael. (People on the Move).(appointments )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Philadelphia-based David Michael announced the following promotions: Stuart Rosenbaum, executive vice president, purchasing & MIS; George Ennis, vice president, chief flavor chemist; Diane Gilinsky, vice president, technical services &...

Flavors of North America Inc. (People on the Move).(appointment )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Bruno Dubois has jointed Carol Stream, Ill.-based Flavors of North America Inc. as its director of strategic account development.

Fortitech Europe. (People on the Move).(appointment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Fortitech Europe in Nilose, Denmark, appointed Per Gotfredsen technical manager and Nicolas Touillon director of sales.

Harmony Foods'. (People on the Move).(appointment )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... George Stege, formerly vice president of Leaf Inf., joined Santa Cruz, Calif.-based Harmony Foods' board of directors.

Joseph Schmidt Confections. (People on the Move).(names new president and ceo)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Joseph Schmidt Confections in San Francisco named Charles Huggins president and ceo.

Jelly Belly Candy Co. (People on the Move).(appointment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Jelly Belly Candy Co. in Fairfield, Calif., named Andrew Joffer vice president of its new National Division.

Just Born Inc. (People on the Move).(appointment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Bethlehem, Pa.-based Just Born Inc. appointed Karl Heigold its European Area Manager.

Multivac Inc. (People on the Move).(appointments)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Multivac Inc., headquartered in Kansas City, announced the following appointments: Bill Williams, manager--Vacuum Chamber Machinery sales team, and Mark Wilhem, Trayseal product manager.

Robertet Flavors Inc. SPI Polyols, Inc. (People on the Move).(appointments)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Paul Shapiro named director of corporate information technology for Piscataway, N.J.-based Robertet Flavors Inc. SPI Polyols, Inc. in New Castle, Del., has hired Tom Moreno as director, global accounts, and promoted Ronald Deis to vice...

National Starch. (People on the Move).(appointment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Bridgewater, N.J.-based National Starch named John McAndrews to director of global accounts. N.J.

Pechiney Plastic Packaging. (People on the Move).(appointment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Chicago-based Pechiney Plastic Packaging has promoted Law Burks to director of marketing, food and global bottles.

Schneider Packaging Equipment Co. (People on the Move).(appointment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Paul Burdick has jointed Brewerton, N.Y.-based Schneider Packaging Equipment Co. as director of marketing and sales.

The Warrell Corp. (People on the Move).(promotions)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Logan Jones, formerly vice president--manufacturing, and Kevin Silva, formerly v.p.--administration, for The Warrell Corp. in Camp Hill, Pa., were promoted to senior vice president--manufacturing/ co-manufacturing sales, and senior...

Mars' Miklos passes away. (Candy News).(Alfred Miklos)(Obituary)
May 1, 2003... Alfred Miklos, died Feb. 25 in his home in Bainbridge, Pa. The former director of research and development for M&M Mars Inc. (now Masterfoods), spent 33 years with the confectionery powerhouse, retiring in 1992. A former board member of the...

Candy executive William Beich dies. (Candy News).(Obituary)
May 1, 2003... Former Candy Industry Kettle Award winner (1980) William Beich died last month in Bloomington, Ill. He was 81. The past president of the Paul F. Beich Co. joined the family confectionery business in 1946 and took over the reins in 1968. ...

U.S. Can partners with Berlin Packaging. (Supplier News).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... U.S. Can will now be distributing its wide array of metal packaging products to customers in western United States thanks to a distribution arrangement with Berlin Packaging. "By selecting Berlin Packaging as our stocking distributor on...

Zip-Pack to open European plant. (Supplier News).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Zip-Pak, a leading supplier of resealable technology for flexible packaging solutions that's based in Manteno, Ill., is building a new multi-million dollar manufacturing plant in Winschoten, The Netherlands, with production scheduled to begin...

Higher sights setting: the recent merger of Niagara Chocolates, Oak Leaf Confections and Whetstone Candy Co. into a single sales, marketing and manufacturing entity, not only provides "critical mass," but plenty of creative product opportunities. (Cover Story).(Cover Story)
May 1, 2003... At a Glance Headquarters: St Augustine, Fla. Sales: $50 million (Candy Industry estimate) Employees: 400 Products: Hollow, solid, foiled chocolate novelties, chocolate bars, bulk candy, gum, pressed dextrose and pressed gum...

From turnaround to 'Truffaloes': in taking over Buffalo's oldest candy retailer, entrepreneur Ted Marks returns not only luster to a local institution, but a future as well. (Chocolate Trendsetter).
May 1, 2003... Unlike several of his contemporaries, Ted Marks didn't grow up in the candy business. Although his father was active in Buffalo's business community (Randy Marks co-founded CTG, a global information technology consulting company based in...

5th Annual European Supplies Roundtable.(Panel Discussion)
May 1, 2003... Despite the trepidations involved with the onset of war in Iraq, 21 executives from Europe's leading equipment and ingredient suppliers convened at Candy Industry's fifth annual European Suppliers' Roundtable, on March 19, 2003, at the Radisson...

Expanding target markets: the lollipops and suckers category may be mature, but it doesn't have to act that way. (Lollipops).
May 1, 2003... Lollipops are known for being a confection that can meet every age group's desires. Although a traditional piece of candy, lollipops are easy to contemporize, even display a bit of spunk. "Lollipops are a fun product," says Jordi Ferre,...

Coating culture: nutritional and sugar-free coatings contribute to the expanding role coatings play in creating healthier confections. (Candy R&D: trends & applications in ingredient technology).
May 1, 2003... Confectionery coatings have become the silent workers that sometimes go unnoticed, but boy, would consumers miss them if they weren't there. The most obvious products using coatings are boxed candy centers and candy bars. The coatings...

Mint enhancers.(Foote & Jenks Corp. unveils line of flavor systems )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Camden, N.J.-based Foote & Jenks Corp. developed a line of flavor systems designed specifically to enhance menthol and mint flavors and mouthfeel in a broad variety of applications. The enhancers impart superior flavor and mouthfeel sensation...

Cooling effect.
May 1, 2003... New York-based International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. released CoolTek, a high-intensity cooling technology that uses proprietary molecules developed through extensive research into human cold perception. CoolTek imparts a unique taste...

Natural colors.
May 1, 2003... The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted Chr. Hansen Inc., Milwaukee, the patent right to a unique form of natural colors. Chr. Hansen manufactures this new form of nature-derived colorants using the company's "cap" technology, which is...

Tongue sucker. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... COMPANY: Cap Candy, Napa, Calif. THE PRODUCT: Tongue Tubs Candy THE HOOK: A resealable tub houses a great tasting pop for hours of lickin'. The lid snaps off to reveal a bottom for a cool ring in flavors of cherry, green apple and...

Added flavor. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... COMPANY: The Topps Company Inc., New York THE PRODUCT: Juicy Drop Pop THE HOOK: Kids can now control their candy's flavor intensity with Juicy Drop Pop. The lollipop comes with flavor boosting drops that kids can apply to the candy by...

Caffeinated kick. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... COMPANY: Melate Confections, San Diego THE PRODUCT: Chargers THE HOOK: This chocolate-covered coffee treat comes packaged in an original tin replica of a size-D battery, enabling consumers to replicate the convenience of a grab-n-go...

Candy jewels. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... COMPANY: Chocolate Fashion n.v., Aarschot, Belgium THE PRODUCT: d'Orsay Petits Fours Confections THE HOOK: Created in Belgium by confectioner Marc Rosiers, these jewel-like confections are made with Belgian chocolate, creamy fillings...

Hershey Food Corp. (Holiday Rollout).
May 1, 2003... Spring becomes even sweeter this year with Hershey Food Corp.'s new flavor addition to its Limited Edition Kisses collection: Extra Creamy Kisses with Toffee & Almonds. And for the estimated 25% of chocolate lovers who prefer dark chocolate,...

Amurol Confections. (Holiday Rollout).
May 1, 2003... Big League Chew by Yorkville, Ill.-based Amurol Confections became an instant hit more than 20 years ago with ball players everywhere. Today, Big League Chew Bubble Gum has been named the Official Players' Choice Bubble Gum by the Major League...

PEZ Candy Inc. (Holiday Rollout).
May 1, 2003... PEZ Candy Inc. in Orange, Conn., will produce five jolly characters for its 2003 Christmas Assortment: Santa, a reindeer, an elf, a snowman and a polar bear. Each dispenser is packaged in see-through, poly bags with two rolls of PEZ candy...

Workhorse bagger. (Plant, Processing and Packaging Technology).
May 1, 2003... Rovema's Intermittent Motion VPI-260 E is designed for the production of heat-sealed, pillow-style bags. The form/fill/seal bagger features Allen Bradley Control Logix controls and Ultra 300 servo drives. With a direct mounted scale, speeds of...

Chocolate auto wrapper. (Plant, Processing and Packaging Technology).
May 1, 2003... Carle & Montenari's CU 954CD/CB2 packaging unit provides complete automatic wrapping for chocolates. The machine features a compact and solid design. A product feed belt and a dial positioning system delivers the products into the area where...

Larger chocolate tank. (Plant, Processing and Packaging Technology).
May 1, 2003... Bettendorf, Iowa-based The Schebler Co. has added a 5,000-lb capacity chocolate melt tank to its line of existing melt tanks, cooling tunnels, coaters and polishers designed exclusively for chocolate production. According to Ronn Hatchell,...

'Walking beam' improves robotic trayloaders, cartoners. (Plant, Processing and Packaging Technology).
May 1, 2003... A unique, new servo-driven "walking beam" device for Schubert's latest TLM robotic cartoners and trayloaders allows cartons or trays to be accurately erected, loaded and closed at different rates of speed. Size changeover requires no change...

Distribution system 'flows' product gently. (Plant, Processing and Packaging Technology).
May 1, 2003... TNA in Coppell, Texas, has developed a new distribution system that allows products to "flow" rather than vibrate toward their packaging destination. Dubbed Roflo, the system's servo-driven motion allows complete drive control, regardless...

Ultrasonic cutter meets special requirements. (Plant, Processing and Packaging Technology).
May 1, 2003... Whitworth, England-based BCH Ltd. provides a broad range of guillotines for the confectionery industry that meet a wide variety of cutting requirements, including its latest unit, an indexing Ultrasonic Guillotine designed for trimming fragile,...

Full-body protection. (Innovations in Packaging).
May 1, 2003... Ameri-Seal Inc., manufacturer of PVC/PETG/OPS heat shrinkable Ameri-Seals, offers 360[degrees] promotional Full Body Sleeves and Tamper Evident Seals for candy manufacturers. The Chatsworth, Calif.-based packaging films supplier points out that...

Easy resealing. (Innovations in Packaging).
May 1, 2003... Manteno, Ill.-based Zip-Pak has introduced new zipper technology for barrier packaging that eliminates the need for equipment upgrades or retrofitting. The new technology enables the convenience of resealability to be added to high-barrier...

Sweet profile. (Candy Wrapper).(Big Sky Brands Inc. develops cutting-edge product offerings)(Interview)
May 1, 2003... Ron Cheng spent a few years working in a variety of industries before finding his way to the candy business. With a background in logistics and finance, Cheng didn't the fit the profile of the classic candy entrepreneur. Nevertheless he...

Star power at Dylan's. (Candy Wrapper).(Dylan's Candy Bar)(Illustration)
May 1, 2003... In a recent Inc. magazine article on Dylan's Candy Bar company, author Donna Fenn quizzed entrepreneur Jeff Rubin about the celebrities that come in and purchase candy at his Manhattan retail store. Can you match up the candy with these...

Study faults barriers for high sugar prices. (Candy Wrapper).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A new study by a Brigham Young University economist provides some strong numbers, along with even stronger arguments, that suggests eliminating the sugar support program. Scott Bradford, assistant professor of economics at BYU, recently...