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A New Company
The Hershey Chocolate Company was owned by Milton Hershey’s Lancaster Caramel Company.
The company produced baking chocolate, cocoa, and sweet chocolate for the company.
William Murrie was hired to sell the excess materials, and became so successful that Hershey Chocolate Company became a viable company of their own! -
Sweets!!
Hershey Chocolate Company manufactures 114 different items. -
Creating the Formula
Milton began his quest to develop a formula for milk chocolate.
Hershey built it’s first milk-processing plant on the family farm in Derry Township in 1896.
In 1899, he finalized his recipe and became the first American to manufacture milk chocolate. -
The Trademark Symbol
The company adopted its trademark symbol: The Baby in the Bean. This symbol appeared on all cans of Hershey’s Cocoa until 1936 when it was replaced by the block lettering that we know of today. -
The Factory
Milton chose to build his Hershey Factory in Derry Township, PA. -
The Hershey Kiss
The Hershey kiss was the first addition to the Hershey line of milk chocolate in 1907. They were initially hand-wrapped, but then machine wrapped.
During WWII, Hershey kisses were not produced from 1942 through 1949 due to the rationing of silver foil. -
Going to Cuba
During WWI, beet sugar became scarce, which was the main source that Miton used. He began searching for can sugar plantations and began building refineries in Cuba.
This land eventually spanned 60,000 acres, five mills, and a school for orphaned children! At the end of WWII, the company felt that it no longer needed the resources in Cuba, and sold it to the Cuba-Atlantic Sugar Company. -
Introduction to Reeses
In 1923, a former Hershey employee, H.B. Reese started his own candy company. Five years later, he created a uniquely delicious candy: the Reese’s peanut butter cup. This candy, created using Hershey’s milk chocolate, was purchased by the Hershey’s company in 1963. -
Two More Bars!
Herhsey’s introduced two more additions in the 1920s: the Mr. Goodbar and Krackel.
- Mr. Goodbar: 1925
- Krackel: 1938 -
Steps to Success
Many Hershey’s products were first created to sell to manufacturers.
Hershey’s cocoa has been manufactured since 1894.
Hershey’s syrup (the first to sell syrup for home use) was first sold in 1926.
And Hershey’s chocolate chips were first introduced in 1928.
Some Hershey’s products that you may never have heard of, did not prove successful, such as mint-flavored gum and the “Not-So-Sweet” bar. -
Going Public!
In 1927, The Hershey Company went public! Milton offered shares of the company at $61.50. -
Continual Growth
After Milton’s death in 1945, the company continued to grow. New products were produced in the years to come. The company expanded with new chocolate plants in Ontario, Canada, and California. -
Advertising!!
In 1968, Hershey Foods Corporation announced its plans for a nationwide advertising campaign. Sales continued to boom! -
Growing Empire
Through increasing technology and advertising, The Hershey Company grew from $334 million in net sales in 1969 to $4.4 billion in 2004.
