A perfect combo . . . Sweet and candy. Whether conscious of the implications or not, when Leon Sweet started up a candy company in Portland in 1892, his name AND candy grabbed the fancy of Pacific Northwesterners. His handmade candy became known for quality and taste.
Leon Sweet's foray into the candymaking game was the beginning of 100-plus years of Sweet sweets.In 1900, he moved the operation to Salt Lake City -- perhaps banking on Utah's well-known proclivity toward confections. The company again expanded when several small specialty candy companies merged into one general line.
Ten years later, success sparked another move -- this time to the historic downtown location at 200 South and 200 West.
At the beginning of 1999, another growth spurt pushed the company's needs for additional space. The Sweet Candy Co. operation is now housed in a spotless, high-tech center located just south of the Salt Lake International Airport.
The state of the art 180,000-square-foot manufacturing/distribution center houses raw materials used to make Sweet's popular candies. Bulk boxes filled with finished goods are stacked and ready to be transported worldwide.
Over the past century, company management has passed from father to son. From Leon to Jack Sweet (in 1950) and from Jack to Tony Sweet (in 1983). Through three generations, Sweets Quality Candy has remained a family business. Rachel Sweet, Tony's daughter, is now the fourth generation Sweet to work as a candymaker.
Capitalizing on the latest candymaking technology, Tony Sweet has expanded the company's marketing plan. Today, there are over 250 Sweet's candy items distributed internationally in bulk, bags, and bins.
Sweet's best-known products include salt water taffy made from Sweet's own formula (they whip egg whites into the nougat), milk chocolate orange sticks, and the industry's tastiest cinnamon bears.
June is National Candy Month. You know what to do.