Hershey's
This is a routine sight for us working in software industry. Whenever someone arrives from onshore, not only his/her team members but anyone and everyone on the floor rush to get a chocolate brought from there. I know it sounds a bit weird but the only metaphor I can think of is that of the hoards of Piranhas finishing off the prey. And what remains is the empty box that a while before had some of the sweetest and delicious chocolates. Among them, the most sought after chocolates are the “Kisses”. Today’s Gyan is a sweet story – as sweet as those chocolates – of the man who not only brought the sweet taste of his chocolate to us but also helped in bringing happiness in many lives through his philanthropic deeds. Yes, it’s Hershey’s!
Born in 1857 to a farmer father, Milton Snavely Hershey didn’t receive a formal education as his father was always on the move. One fine day, his father left him and his mother alone, only to see them again when Milton became 18 years old.
To earn living, Milton started working for a printer but somewhere, the art of preparing candies had fascinated him. So, on the occasion of Centennial Exposition of US Independence i.e. on 4th July 1876, Milton Hershey established his candy business. The candies were made using Caramel. The job of mixing hot caramel is very cumbersome. Prolong handling and mixing the hot caramel made Hershey’s left hand permanently deformed. In spite of his hard work and financial backing from his mother’s family, the business never quite took off and failed after 6 years. So finally, his father pulled him along in the Silver mining business in Colorado. Milton gave in but his true calling would always remain Candy Business. This is where, while working with a Denver candy maker, he learnt the magic of adding fresh milk to caramel.
The stint at the mining business was also a failure. After a few months, he left Denver and arrived in the city of New York – the biggest industry and market for Chocolates. Hershey’s efforts to restart his candy business failed here as well. Dejected, he returned to Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1886. He was aging 28 by now and literally penniless. But if there was one thing that was in abundance in him, it was his never – say – never attitude.
Again, in Lancaster he started fresh efforts to build his own Chocolate Company. This time luck seems to have turned his way. A British confectioner was very impressed with the quality of candies prepared by Hershey’s and offered him a huge order. Although, Hershey didn’t have the required capital with him, he managed to convince the bankers to lend him the necessary sum. Within 4 years, Lancaster Caramel Company became one of the biggest Caramel manufacturers, employing 1400 people and exporting Caramel to other manufacturers in US and Europe.
Hershey was placed firmly in his Caramel business by now. But soon the year 1893 was to change his life forever – for good.
In 1893, Hershey along with his Brother – in – law Frank Snavley happened to visit an exhibition in Chicago. One exhibit of a German manufacturer was a Chocolate maker. Seeing the equipment at work, Hershey was convinced that this is the future of Candy business. Snavley was taken aback when Hershey told him that they were now going to jump into the Chocolate business. Hershey got the equipment shipped to Lancaster, installed it in a corner of his factory and started producing Chocolate to coat the Caramel. Consequently, the company was renamed to Hershey Chocolate Company. Initially, the Hershey Chocolate Company produced sweet chocolate and cocoa for the flavoring and coating of Hershey’s own caramels. But soon, Hershey began selling his excess product to other confectioners.
For years, he worked at perfecting a viable recipe for making milk chocolate -- a process which up to then had been kept a closely guarded secret by the Swiss. Finally, through trial and error, he hit upon the right formula of milk, sugar and cocoa that enabled him to realize his dream of mass producing and distributing milk chocolate candy. In 1900, the company began producing milk chocolate in bars, wafers and other shapes. With mass-production, Hershey was able to lower the cost and make milk chocolate, once a luxury item for the wealthy, affordable to all.
The success in professional life was soon going to follow Hershey in his personal life as well. Aged 40, Hershey was still unmarried. This is when Catherine Sweeney – better known as “Kitty” entered his life. The romance between this Irish girl from a worker family and Milton Hershey blossomed and culminated in their marriage.
In 1900, Hershey sold his Lancaster factory for a whooping $1 Million. Those were the days when even $10 salary was considered good. Hershey reinvested the money to build an even bigger factory in Derry Township, a town in South Central Pennsylvania. The easy availability of labour, milk and accessibility to ports like Philadelphia and New York made it the most suitable place to start the business. In 1903, Hershey broke ground for the factory and by 1905 it was rolling out delicious chocolates. Looking to expand its product line, the company, in 1907, began producing a flat-bottomed, conical milk chocolate candy which Hershey decided to name Hershey’s “Kisses” Chocolates. Story goes that they were named after the noise they used to make while rolling over conveyor belts!
The next two decades saw even more products added to the company’s offerings. These included Mr. Goodbar (1925), HERSHEY’S Syrup (1926), chocolate chips (1928) and the KRACKEL bar (1938). Despite the Great Depression, these products helped the newly incorporated Hershey Chocolate Corporation maintain its profitability and avoid any worker layoffs. During the World War II, Hershey provided nutritious chocolates bar to the army. The company even earned five Army-Navy “E” Production Awards for its exceptional contributions to the war effort.
Hershey believed that workers who were treated fairly and who lived in a comfortable, pleasant environment would be better workers. Accordingly, he set upon building an infrastructure to take care of his employees. He had plans drawn up for a model community that included housing for executives and ordinary workers alike, schools, churches, parks, recreational facilities. As time went on, Hershey saw to it that the town (named Hershey) added a community building, a department store, a convention hall, an amusement park, a swimming pool, and schools… Lots of schools! Both Milton and Kitty loved children but as fate would have it, they didn’t have one of their own…
The post-war period saw the introduction of a host of new products and the acquisition of an old one. Since 1928, H.B. “Harry” Reese’s candy company, also located in Hershey, had been making chocolate-covered peanut butter cups. Given that Hershey Chocolate supplied the coating for REESE’S “penny cups”; (the wrapper said, “Made in Chocolate Town, So They Must Be Good”), it was not surprising that the two companies had a good relationship. As a result, seven years after Reese’s death in 1956, the H.B. Reese Candy Company was sold to Hershey Chocolate Corp.
Today, The Hershey Company is the leading manufacturer of chocolate, non-chocolate confectionery and grocery products. With approximately 13,700 employees and net sales in excess of $4 billion, the company offers more than 114 different brands of chocolates like Hershey’s, Reese’s, Hershey’s kisses, Kit Kat, Almond Joy, Mounds, York, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, and Bubble Yum as well as innovative new products such as Swoops and Hershey’s S'mores.
Hershey continued with philanthropy, opening an asylum and a trust. He gave away $600 Million to the trust in the memories of his wife Kitty. She died in 1915.
Today, the trust owns 65% share in the company. Hershey later on went to Cuba to build another such empire but failed. He returned to America and spent his remaining years alone. In 1945, at the age of 88, Milton Hershey – a man who fought against all odds and stood firm on his position – finally gave up to the ultimate truth. But he has left behind a legacy that still brings the sweet memories of the dreams he had once envisioned…
Regards,
Abhishek
Born in 1857 to a farmer father, Milton Snavely Hershey didn’t receive a formal education as his father was always on the move. One fine day, his father left him and his mother alone, only to see them again when Milton became 18 years old.
To earn living, Milton started working for a printer but somewhere, the art of preparing candies had fascinated him. So, on the occasion of Centennial Exposition of US Independence i.e. on 4th July 1876, Milton Hershey established his candy business. The candies were made using Caramel. The job of mixing hot caramel is very cumbersome. Prolong handling and mixing the hot caramel made Hershey’s left hand permanently deformed. In spite of his hard work and financial backing from his mother’s family, the business never quite took off and failed after 6 years. So finally, his father pulled him along in the Silver mining business in Colorado. Milton gave in but his true calling would always remain Candy Business. This is where, while working with a Denver candy maker, he learnt the magic of adding fresh milk to caramel.
The stint at the mining business was also a failure. After a few months, he left Denver and arrived in the city of New York – the biggest industry and market for Chocolates. Hershey’s efforts to restart his candy business failed here as well. Dejected, he returned to Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1886. He was aging 28 by now and literally penniless. But if there was one thing that was in abundance in him, it was his never – say – never attitude.
Again, in Lancaster he started fresh efforts to build his own Chocolate Company. This time luck seems to have turned his way. A British confectioner was very impressed with the quality of candies prepared by Hershey’s and offered him a huge order. Although, Hershey didn’t have the required capital with him, he managed to convince the bankers to lend him the necessary sum. Within 4 years, Lancaster Caramel Company became one of the biggest Caramel manufacturers, employing 1400 people and exporting Caramel to other manufacturers in US and Europe.
Hershey was placed firmly in his Caramel business by now. But soon the year 1893 was to change his life forever – for good.
In 1893, Hershey along with his Brother – in – law Frank Snavley happened to visit an exhibition in Chicago. One exhibit of a German manufacturer was a Chocolate maker. Seeing the equipment at work, Hershey was convinced that this is the future of Candy business. Snavley was taken aback when Hershey told him that they were now going to jump into the Chocolate business. Hershey got the equipment shipped to Lancaster, installed it in a corner of his factory and started producing Chocolate to coat the Caramel. Consequently, the company was renamed to Hershey Chocolate Company. Initially, the Hershey Chocolate Company produced sweet chocolate and cocoa for the flavoring and coating of Hershey’s own caramels. But soon, Hershey began selling his excess product to other confectioners.
For years, he worked at perfecting a viable recipe for making milk chocolate -- a process which up to then had been kept a closely guarded secret by the Swiss. Finally, through trial and error, he hit upon the right formula of milk, sugar and cocoa that enabled him to realize his dream of mass producing and distributing milk chocolate candy. In 1900, the company began producing milk chocolate in bars, wafers and other shapes. With mass-production, Hershey was able to lower the cost and make milk chocolate, once a luxury item for the wealthy, affordable to all.
The success in professional life was soon going to follow Hershey in his personal life as well. Aged 40, Hershey was still unmarried. This is when Catherine Sweeney – better known as “Kitty” entered his life. The romance between this Irish girl from a worker family and Milton Hershey blossomed and culminated in their marriage.
In 1900, Hershey sold his Lancaster factory for a whooping $1 Million. Those were the days when even $10 salary was considered good. Hershey reinvested the money to build an even bigger factory in Derry Township, a town in South Central Pennsylvania. The easy availability of labour, milk and accessibility to ports like Philadelphia and New York made it the most suitable place to start the business. In 1903, Hershey broke ground for the factory and by 1905 it was rolling out delicious chocolates. Looking to expand its product line, the company, in 1907, began producing a flat-bottomed, conical milk chocolate candy which Hershey decided to name Hershey’s “Kisses” Chocolates. Story goes that they were named after the noise they used to make while rolling over conveyor belts!
The next two decades saw even more products added to the company’s offerings. These included Mr. Goodbar (1925), HERSHEY’S Syrup (1926), chocolate chips (1928) and the KRACKEL bar (1938). Despite the Great Depression, these products helped the newly incorporated Hershey Chocolate Corporation maintain its profitability and avoid any worker layoffs. During the World War II, Hershey provided nutritious chocolates bar to the army. The company even earned five Army-Navy “E” Production Awards for its exceptional contributions to the war effort.
Hershey believed that workers who were treated fairly and who lived in a comfortable, pleasant environment would be better workers. Accordingly, he set upon building an infrastructure to take care of his employees. He had plans drawn up for a model community that included housing for executives and ordinary workers alike, schools, churches, parks, recreational facilities. As time went on, Hershey saw to it that the town (named Hershey) added a community building, a department store, a convention hall, an amusement park, a swimming pool, and schools… Lots of schools! Both Milton and Kitty loved children but as fate would have it, they didn’t have one of their own…
The post-war period saw the introduction of a host of new products and the acquisition of an old one. Since 1928, H.B. “Harry” Reese’s candy company, also located in Hershey, had been making chocolate-covered peanut butter cups. Given that Hershey Chocolate supplied the coating for REESE’S “penny cups”; (the wrapper said, “Made in Chocolate Town, So They Must Be Good”), it was not surprising that the two companies had a good relationship. As a result, seven years after Reese’s death in 1956, the H.B. Reese Candy Company was sold to Hershey Chocolate Corp.
Today, The Hershey Company is the leading manufacturer of chocolate, non-chocolate confectionery and grocery products. With approximately 13,700 employees and net sales in excess of $4 billion, the company offers more than 114 different brands of chocolates like Hershey’s, Reese’s, Hershey’s kisses, Kit Kat, Almond Joy, Mounds, York, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, and Bubble Yum as well as innovative new products such as Swoops and Hershey’s S'mores.
Hershey continued with philanthropy, opening an asylum and a trust. He gave away $600 Million to the trust in the memories of his wife Kitty. She died in 1915.
Today, the trust owns 65% share in the company. Hershey later on went to Cuba to build another such empire but failed. He returned to America and spent his remaining years alone. In 1945, at the age of 88, Milton Hershey – a man who fought against all odds and stood firm on his position – finally gave up to the ultimate truth. But he has left behind a legacy that still brings the sweet memories of the dreams he had once envisioned…
Regards,
Abhishek
posted by Gyan for the Day! | 7:16 pm
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