The public is invited to celebrate the opening of Spangler Candy Company’s new Bit-O-Honey production facility at a Grand Opening and “Wrapper-Cutting” event on Friday, June 9 beginning at 10:00am. After the wrapper cutting, the public is invited to tour the new production area.
The event will take place at Spangler Candy Company’s West Campus, located at 700 W. Mulberry St., three blocks west of the main campus.
Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Bryan Mayor Carrie Schlade, and Spangler Candy Chairman and CEO Kirk Vashaw will share comments beginning at 10:00am.
Following their comments, the public will have the opportunity to take a walking tour of the new factory and observe the Bit-O-Honey production process. Tours will cease at 2:00pm.
Following the tours, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) will visit the facility and meet with media and Spangler employees.
The tours are open to the public. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Photographs and videos will not be allowed inside the building, and all visitors will be required to wear hairnets.
Two of the Spangler semi tractor-trailers with new Bit-O-Honey graphics will be parked on site for the public to see and take photographs. Visitors also are welcome to walk a block east to the Dum-Dums Water Tower photo spot.
“Bringing Bit-O-Honey production to Bryan has been very successful for our company and our community,” said CEO Kirk Vashaw.
“There is a lot of excitement around this popular nostalgic brand, and we want to give our community the opportunity to see the operation and the hard work that has been done to bring it to Bryan.”
Spangler purchased the Bit-O-Honey brand in November 2020 from Pearson’s Candy Company of Saint Paul, Minnesota.
The same year, Spangler purchased the former New Era Ohio and ARO Corporation property directly west of the main factory. The company made extensive renovations to upgrade and bring the Spangler West Campus to production-ready, food grade standards.
The Bit-O-Honey manufacturing equipment was moved from St. Paul, MN to Bryan in late 2022, and production of Bit-O-Honey began in January 2023.
Bit-O-Honey is known for its soft taffy texture and its real roasted almonds and honey ingredients. Bit-O-Honey first appeared in 1924 – the same year as Dum-Dums – made by the Schutter-Johnson Company of Chicago.
Bit-O-Honey endured a variety of ownership changes between 1969 and 1983, when it was brought under the umbrella of the Nestle Company.
In 2013, Nestle sold Bit-O-Honey to Pearson’s Candy Company of Saint Paul, Minnesota, which sold the brand to Spangler in 2020.
Spangler Candy Company has been family-owned and operated in Bryan, OH since 1906. Under its Dum-Dums® flagship, it is one of the largest lollipop producers in the world and the only major candy cane producer in the United States.
Other products include Sweethearts®, Necco® Wafers, Bit-O-Honey®, Spangler® Circus Peanuts and Canada® Mints.