Products Candies Founder Sam Born | Website www.justborn.com Type Privately held company | |
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Industry Confectionery production Headquarters Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States Founded 1923, New York City, New York, United States Profiles | ||
Just born candy
Just Born is a privately held, family-owned, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based candy company that manufactures and markets a number of candies including Goldenberg's Peanut Chews, Hot Tamales, Mike and Ike, Peeps, Teenee Beanee jelly beans, and Zours.
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Marketing its products under the tagline "a great candy isn't made... it's Just Born," the company was ranked as the 10th largest candy company in the United States, as of 2013.
Just born workers go on strike
History
Russian immigrant Sam Born came to the United States in 1910. In 1916, Born was awarded the "key to the city" of San Francisco for inventing a machine that mechanically inserted sticks into lollipops.
In 1917, Born opened a small retail store in Brooklyn, New York. He displayed in his store window an evolving line of daily made candy, marketing its freshness with a sign that declared Just Born. The original company logo showed a baby resting in a candy measuring scale. Sam Born is also credited with the invention of chocolate sprinkles, known as "jimmies," and the hard coating on ice cream bars.
In 1923, Born started his own manufacturing company in New York City. Irv and Jack Schaffer, Born's brothers in law, joined the company to help market and sell the confections. In 1932, the trio moved operations to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The company took over a 4 story, 224,396 sq. ft. building, built in 1920, from a bankrupt printing company.
Sam Born's son, Bob Born, joined the company in 1946 and would later become President for more than 30 years. He was part of the two man team that mechanized the marshmallow Peeps forming process, allowing a substantial increase in production, leading Just Born to become America's largest manufacturer of seasonal marshmallow confections.
In 1953 Just Born acquired Rodda Candy Co. of Lancaster County; manufacturer of jelly beans, as well as a seasonal (Easter) "martello" candy: Peeps. Just Born later mechanized the product manufacture, broadened its marketing, and ultimately created a candy with iconic, year-round appeal.
In 2003, Just Born purchased the Goldenberg Candy Company, retaining its Philadelphia factory. Just Born originally rebranded Goldenberg's Peanut Chews as a Just Born product under a new marketing campaign which deleted a reference to the name Goldenberg. The company later reversed its marketing approach.
Today
Just Born continues to be family owned. Currently the co-CEOs are Mr. Born's grandson Ross Born and nephew David Shaffer. David Yale is the current President and Chief Operating Officer.
The first Just Born retail store “Peeps and Company” opened in fall 2009 at National Harbor, Maryland. In winter 2012, two more stores opened at the Mall of America, Minnesota and the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
On September 7, 2016 members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union Local 6 voted to strike on Sept. 2 after unanimously rejecting the company's most recent contract offer. Most workers returned to their jobs on September 30, although no final agreement had been reached.