A candy company whose origins pre-date the Great Depression made a disappointing announcement last week.
After 117 years in business, Pearson’s Candy Company will close its Minnesota factory.
According to reports, Pearson’s - operating as St. Paul Candy Company - completed a WARN filing to notify the state that it would be cutting 80 jobs in September because it lacks the funding to continue operating its St. Paul plant.
Pearson’s is perhaps best known for the Salted Nut Roll – a peanut and nougat confection that was invented during the Depression to serve as a sweet treat that was also filling, all for the price of a nickel.
Other favorites produced by the plant over the years include the Nut Goodie, Bun Bar, and Mint Patty.
The company changed hands many times throughout its century-plus in operation, and its been producing its goods from this specific St. Paul plant since 1959.
Most recently, a 2023 merger placed Pearson’s under the Promise Confections umbrella of companies, which means production of these long-standing sweets could be moved to another facility within the group, though it’s unclear at this time what - and whether - that happens.
Former Pearson’s maintenance director Scott Kieland told Minnesota Public Radio that the continuous slate of private equity owners had failed to invest adequately in the aging plant.
Alex Allen, a former Pearson’s VP, added that increasing production and ingredients costs made the closure feel “a little bit… inevitable” and that even the biggest companies in this space were feeling those same pressures.
According to CBS News, Promise Confections said it will "explore all options in order to make these legacy products" and that some of Pearson's most iconic goods could ultimately be produced by a "strategic partner."
