Necco Wafer Factory Saved By DumDums Maker's $18 Million Bid
Not all heroes wear capes; some just have a lot of money. Necco — the company behind classic candy brands including Sweethearts, Clark Bars, and Necco Wafers — was just acquired for $18.83 million by Spangler, which produces DumDums lollipops and Circus Peanuts.
The fourth-generation confectioner's multimillion-dollar bid beat out former Necco CEO Al Gulachenski, who even launched a GoFundMe in an attempt to raise $20 million back when the hysteria began. Alas, the noble campaign only crowdsourced $4,485, and everyone who donated is expected to receive a full refund in 7 to ten days.
Nonetheless, Gulachenski is happy that this sweet legacy will live on, and he even took to Facebook to express his thankfulness to the public and to the CandyStore.com blog, which helped spread the word about the sweet treats' dire need for help.
"The good news is that Necco Wafers and Sweethearts will survive! Your efforts and the publicity generated by this gofundme played a big part in the sale. The campaign also generated interest from others that were part of the proceedings yesterday that may not have happened without this effort," he wrote. "First and foremost we need to thank CandyStore.com for generating interest in the story and for breaking the news of our gofundme site. Please make sure you all get your Necco wafers from them in the future."
The response on social media has been pretty sweet as well.
My Necco Wafers have been saved. Whew!
— Gunga Drain (@Gunga_Drain) May 24, 2018
Thanks to the Spangler Candy Company for saving my second favorite candy!
— Jeffrey 'Boy Wonder' Hansen (@jth90c) May 25, 2018
Back in March, Necco Wafer fans started panicking over the company's potential shuttering. One woman even offered to trade her 2003 Honda Accord for the last of the precious supply. Everyone can relax now, though — Necco is here to stay. For more sugar-coated stories, check out these surprising facts about your 20 favorite candy brands.