ALTOONA, Pa. -- The Boyer Candy Co., a longtime chocolate producer, has acquired peanut butter and taffy candy bar brand Clark Bar for an undisclosed amount, according to a report by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
It’s been a long time coming for Boyer, which made an unsuccessful bid to buy Clark Bar in 1999, the Gazette said. Anthony Forgione, owner of Boyer Candy, told the newspaper he expects Clark Bars to be rolling off conveyor belts by early 2019.
Deborah Forgione, co-owner and director of marketing for Boyer, told CSP Daily News the acquisition was “meant to be.”
“We appreciate companies with a long history, and we’ll look to focus on [Clark Bar's] formulas and packaging,” she said. “We want to bring people back to when they were children. [Clark Bar] is an iconic brand and has a second act that will surprise people.”
Clark Bar, which originated in Pittsburgh, had been part of the New England Confectionery Co. (Necco) since 1999, but its fate became uncertain after Necco declared bankruptcy in April. Other brands left in limbo after Necco’s bankruptcy include Necco Wafers, Sweethearts, Sky Bars, Canada Mints, Candy Buttons, Mary Jane and Haviland Thin Mints.
In March, Necco CEO Michael McGee said the struggling confectionery would lay off about 400 employees if it couldn’t find a buyer. When no acquisition occurred, Necco filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and was forced into to a federally mandated auction. Initial reports suggested that the Spangler Co., an independent confectionery company based in Bryan, Ohio, had acquired the candy brand; however, Necco later confirmed that Round Hill Investments had instead sealed the deal after Spangler withdrew its offer. In July, Round Hill revealed it had sold Necco to an undisclosed buyer in a deal that officially shut down its Revere, Mass.-based facility entirely.
Later this month, a public auction for Necco’s assets will be hosted by the Union Confectionery Machinery Co. The auction, which will take place in Necco’s former headquarters of Revere, Mass., is open to the public and will be streamed online.
Altoona, Pa.-based Boyer Candy has produced chocolate candies since its founding in 1936. Its flagship product, the Mallo Cup, is a coconut-laced milk chocolate cup that contains a whipped marshmallow center. Besides Mallow Cups, Boyer’s items include Peanut Butter Cups, Smoothie Cups and Triple Twist Pretzels.
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