BRYAN, Ohio — 1924! Prohibition is in its fourth year, Jimmy Carter is born, and the first Dum-Dum sucker rolls off the production line.
That’s right: Dum-Dums, that staple of waiting rooms, check-out lines, and Halloween bags, turned 100 years old this year. And from the start, they’ve always been produced in Ohio.
Originally produced by the Akron Candy Company, the Dum-Dum name and equipment were purchased by the Spangler Candy Company of Bryan, Ohio.
It’s not hard to find the candy factory – just follow the scent of sugar in the air, and look for the colorful water tower that features their famous sucker.
A family-owned company, current CEO Kirk Vashaw is part of a long line of candy makers.
"I am a fourth-generation Spangler, as they say," he said in a recent interview with 3News. "We were founded in 1906 by my great-grandfather. We’re the only major manufacturers of candy canes in the United States, and about half of all the candy canes you’ll buy in the United States are from Spangler."
Spangler also makes other iconic American candy, including Necco wafers, circus peanuts, Bit-O-Honey, and Sweethearts conversation hearts. But the Dum-Dum is their flagship product.
"We make 12,000,000 Dum-Dums every day. It is a very easy word for kids to say, so Dum-Dum, Ma-Ma, Da-Da … when that's one of your first words, you're going to be a loyal for life," said Vashaw with a smile.
Back in the 1950s, there were seven flavors to choose from. Now there are seventeen, including the “mystery flavor” – created from when the machines switch from one flavor batch to another. As one flavor is introduced, it combines with the previous one, and creates a one-of-a-kind taste.
On the factory floor, machines capable of making 1,000 Dum-Dums per minute churn out the candy, wrapped and ready to be shipped all over the world.
They’ve even opened up an attraction in the center of town – Spangler’s Candy World, where you can see the progression of Spangler’s history, play interactive games, and yes – buy candy.
This kind of output has made Spangler the 12th-largest candy maker in North America. So how has this company, run out of small-town Ohio, stayed successful for so long? Diana Moore, the director of corporate communications, believes one major factor lies in their relationship with the town of Bryan.
"The people who lead this company, their grandparents grew up here, their parents grew up here, they grew up here. They're raising their children here," Moore said. "We have over 100 employees that have been here more than 25 years. A handful of them have been here more than 50 years … we just try to treat our people right and make sure that we're not working people too hard...we're all kind of one community working together for the same thing."
So the next time you see the little cup of Dum-Dums by the cash register, you can think of it as Ohio pride on a stick. Happy 100 years, Dum-Dums! You’re making life a little sweeter.