Smarties Candy Company
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Smarties Candy Company (formerly Ce De Candy, Inc.) is a confectionery company well known for its namesake candy,
Smarties Smarties are dragée chocolate confectionery. They have been manufactured since 1937, originally by H.I. Rowntree & Company in the United Kingdom, and now by Nestlé. Smarties are oblate spheroids with a minor axis of about and a major axis ...
. Edward "Eddie" Dee founded Ce De Candy in
Bloomfield, New Jersey Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, and an inner-ring suburb of Newark. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 53,105, an increase of 5,790 (+12.2%) from the 2010 census cou ...
, in 1949. Dee emigrated from England to the United States. Edward Dee's granddaughters, Sarah Dee, Jessica Dee Sawyer and Liz Dee serve as co-presidents of the company. Smarties Candy Company operates plants in Union Township, New Jersey, and in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. The Canadian operations were initially located at 993 Queen Street West in Toronto in 1963 and moved to Newmarket in 1988. The old Toronto factory (c. 1907 east wing as fabric mill, c. 1920s west wing addition joined by central wing housing central heating and incinerator) is now the Candy Factory Lofts (conversion 1999). Its US headquarters are in Union Township. It is one of the few remaining family-owned, mass-production confectionery companies in the United States.


History

On January 10th, 1949, Edward Dee, a second generation candymaker from England, first began producing candy rolls in a rented New Jersey factory in Bloomfield with one wrapping machine and one tablet presser which was a repurposed pellet-making machine. Dee, a Cambridge University graduate, called his product "Smarties" to "encourage people to pursue an education." His family produces a similar candy in England through
Swizzels Matlow Swizzels Matlow Limited, branded as Swizzels, is a confectionery manufacturer based in New Mills, Derbyshire.Manchester Evening News 5 April 2012 Thursday Confectioners are making a lot of lolly Their highest selling brands are Love Hearts, P ...
Co. Initially, Dee took the candy by car to small grocery and tobacco stores. He later moved his American operations to Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1959 and then again to its current location in Union Township in 1967. Ce De Candy's Canadian operations were first established in
Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, in 1963, and were later moved to Newmarket in 1988. The Canadian candies go by the name Rockets to avoid confusion with Nestle's candy-coated chocolate
Smarties Smarties are dragée chocolate confectionery. They have been manufactured since 1937, originally by H.I. Rowntree & Company in the United Kingdom, and now by Nestlé. Smarties are oblate spheroids with a minor axis of about and a major axis ...
. The company now produces Smarties around the clock in its two factories producing over 2.5 billion Smarties candy rolls per year. In 1991,
Mr. T Laurence T (born Laurence Tureaud; May 21, 1952), known professionally as Mr. T, is an American actor and retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is known for his roles as B. A. Baracus in the 1980s television series ''The A ...
and Ce De Candy collaborated to form Crusade for Kids. It encouraged kids to stay in school and say "no" to drugs. Crusade for Kids raised funds for the
Children's Defense Fund The Children's Defense Fund (CDF) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on child advocacy and research. It was founded in 1973 by Marian Wright Edelman. History The CDF was founded in 1973, ci ...
charity. In October 2010, the company vice president of sales and marketing was inducted into the Candy Hall of Fame. In 2011, the company changed its name from Ce De Candy, Inc. to Smarties Candy Company after its most famous product. The company launched its "Smarties Think" campaign in 2013 to promote education and help classrooms in need. Since 2013, the company has donated $200,000 through
DonorsChoose DonorsChoose is a United States–based nonprofit organization that allows individuals to donate directly to public school classroom projects. The organization has been given Charity Navigator's highest rating every year since 2005. As of June 20 ...
to provide school supplies. The company completed a 674 kW solar project in 2016, adding 2,100 solar panels to the roof of their New Jersey factory. In October 2017, the company's president of 40 years, Jonathan Dee, stepped down and Liz Dee, Sarah Dee, and Jessica Dee Sawyer assumed the role of co-president. That same month, Smarties announced the #LittleSmarties campaign to promote intellectual curiosity which features historical figures including
Jane Goodall Dame Jane Morris Goodall (; born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall; 3 April 1934), formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is an English zoologist, Primatology, primatologist and Anthropology, anthropologist. She is considered the world's foremo ...
,
Marie Curie Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie (; ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934), known simply as Marie Curie ( ; ), was a Polish and naturalised-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was List of female ...
, and
Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...
, as well as a partnership with
DonorsChoose DonorsChoose is a United States–based nonprofit organization that allows individuals to donate directly to public school classroom projects. The organization has been given Charity Navigator's highest rating every year since 2005. As of June 20 ...
to support classrooms in need of funding.


Products

The company also produces Mega Smarties, Giant Smarties, X-treme Sour Smarties, Tropical Smarties, Love Hearts, Smarties 'n Creme, candy necklaces, Smarties Pops in three sizes, and other candies, including Breath Savers. All Smarties products are peanut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. While generally considered an everyday staple, groups also give out Smarties to encourage people to buckle up and drive safely. Among these are Tampa Bays' Students Against Destructive Ideas (SADD) and Dum Dum or Smartie initiatives in schools.


References


External links

*{{Official website, https://www.smarties.com/ Companies based in Union County, New Jersey Confectionery companies of the United States Privately held companies based in New Jersey Food and drink companies established in 1949 Family-owned companies of the United States