[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E193]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

MINNESOTA CELEBRATES PEARSON CANDY'S SWEET TREATS FOR 85 YEARS

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HON. BRUCE F. VENTO

of minnesota

in the house of representatives

Wednesday, February 10, 1999

Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record the following article
from the Monday, January 18, 1999, edition of the St. Paul Star Tribune
which recognizes the continued success of the Pearson Candy Co. I want
to extend my congratulations to the owners and employees for continuing
to produce quality candies for more than 85 years.
This recognition is well-deserved; not only for their production of
delicious treats such as Nut Goodies and Salted Nut Rolls, but also for
their commitment to the community of St. Paul, Minnesota. In such a
competitive industry with the mega companies such as Hershey's, Nestle,
and Mars, and a host of foreign imports, it is a superb accomplishment
for the Pearson Candy Company of St. Paul, Minnesota to continue in the
tradition of a great quality product.
Congratulations and best wishes to the Pearson Candy Co. and their
good work force, that have provided the candy treats of my youth
yesterday, for our grandchildren today, and hopefully will be doing so
long into the new century tomorrow.

[From the St. Paul Star Tribune, Jan. 18, 1999]

Around St. Paul: Pearson Candy Co. Celebrates 90 Years

(By Joe Kimball)

Automation handles much of the candymaking these days at
the Pearson Candy Co., but workers at the W. 7th Street plant
watch every stage to pluck out broken or misshapen Nut
Goodies, mints and Salted Nut Roll.
``If we learned anything from George Pearson, it's that our
recipes are great, but the tradition of quality is what sets
us apart,'' said company co-owner Larry Hassler.
The late George Pearson, who died in 1995, ran the company
for 20 years, and is remembered as a great boss and great
candymaker. The company founded by his father, P. Edward
Pearson, turns 90 this year.
Pearson Candy competes in a field largely dominated by
three giants--Hershey, Mars and Nestle--Hassler said.
After some rocky years in the 1980s, Pearson Candy now
thrives under new management. The company recently added the
Bun bar, which comes in maple, caramel and vanilla.
The company has been selling mints and Salted Nut Rolls
through Wal-Mart and Target stores, and Hassler says he hopes
to build on that national recognition of the Pearson brands.
But not all of the company's candy bar brands have survived
over the years: Remember the Denver Sandwich?
It was something like a Twix bar, but a little ahead of its
time.
Hassler takes the credit (or blame) for killing the famous
Seven Up bar about 20 years ago. He said it took 10 workers
to make the bar, which had seven creme and flavored fillings,
and the company lost a dime on each bar it sold.
But the Seven Up bar had a special role in building the W.
7th Street plant.
``Pearson owned the name, `Seven Up,' but so did the 7-Up
soda company, so they'd come once a year to George Pearson
and ask to buy the name so they could legally protect it, and
then they'd lease the name back to us.
``Well, every year George would say no. I think he got a
thrill out of telling this big company to just go away. But
finally, in the 1950s, they came again and offered him a
blank check. This time, he wrote in an amount, some very,
very high figure, and they said: `We've got a deal.'
``Those proceeds built this plant.''

company history

P. Edward Pearson and four brothers started the company in
Minneapolis. With the Nut Goodie, invented in 1913, and the
Salted Nut Roll, 1921, it grew to be one of the nation's top
20 candy manufacturers.
When P. Edward died in 1933, his son George quit college
and became a partner with his uncles. In 1951, George bought
the Trudeau Candy Co. in St. Paul, which made mints and the
Seven Up bar.
George became president of the company in 1959 but sold it
in 1969 to International Telephone and Telegraph's
Continental Baking Co. Ten years later, a Chicago
entrepreneur bought the company, and in 1981 Hassler was
brought in as a financial officer. Hassler and Judy Johnston
bought the company in 1985.

keeping the nut goodie

In the production area, which makes up most of the plant's
130,000 square feet, plant manager Roger Bruce supervises two
shifts of workers who mix and blend sugar, corn syrup,
chocolate and peanuts. About 175 people work for the company.
The peanuts come from North Carolina in 2,000-pound bags.
The plant uses four to eight bags a day.
Hassler said his longtime employees saved him from making a
big mistake in the 1980s--dropping the Nut Goodie.
``We were losing a nickel a bar and every time I saw an
order for 100 cases, it killed me,'' he said. They had
changed the bar's recipe and wrapper and weren't selling
enough to make a profit.
``People in the plant said we've got to make the Nut Goodie
the way they used to make it and go back to the old ugly,
red-and-green wrapper. We did it and they were 100 percent
right.'' Now, the company sells enough Nut Goodies to make a
tidy profit.
Hassler said he has had sweet overtures from neighboring
states asking him to move. But he's not chewing on those
offers.
``St. Paul has been good for us. If you take St. Paul out
of the equation, I'm afraid we'd lose it all,'' he said.
He's not entertaining buyout offers, either. ``If I sold
out and made a fortune, I know I'd spend the rest of my life
looking for another company just like Pearson Candy,'' he
said.

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