Post-war era
After the war ended, the factory was handed back to the company. Production was difficult because of rationing and limited imports of raw cocoa. As a result, in 1954 production of the chocolate apple was phased out in favour of increased production of the chocolate orange.[10] Frank Terry retired in 1958, and was replaced as chairman by Noel Terry, with Frank dying in 1960. The business was purchased by the Forte group from the Terry family in 1963, with the Mayor of York, Mona Armitage asking had Terry's been fortified or Fortes been terrified.[12] The price was £4.25 million paid for in Forte shares and Noel Terry joined the Forte board.[13] Forte Group already owned Fullers, a bakery and confectionery company based in Hammersmith, closing their factory in 1964 and transferring their confectionery production, including Peppermint lumps to York.[14] Charles Forte appointed Ian Johnston as managing director, who modernised the business and introduced the first television adverts for the company.[15] The Colgate-Palmolive company acquired Joseph Terry & Sons from Trust House Forte in 1977 for £17 million.[16] Terry's at this time had 30% of the UK market for assortment boxes, with All Gold accounting for 20%, while Moonlight accounted for a further 10%. It was under Colgate-Palmolive that Terry's developed the short lived Chocolate Lemon.[17] By 1981 Terry's revenue from All Gold stood at £11 million.[8]
United Biscuits subsequently acquired Joseph Terry & Sons from Colgate-Palmolive in 1982 for £24.5 million after a management buyout lost out. A year after Terry's had announced pre-tax profits of £2.7 million.[18][15] Terry's would form the bulk of their confectionery division.[19] United Biscuits used Terry's to develop private branded products for retailers which at the time only had 2% of the chocolate market.[20] Peter Terry, the last family member that worked for the business left in 1985.[21] In 1988, United Biscuits purchased the confectionery business of Callard and Bowser from Beatrice Foods, and together the companies were known as the Terry's Group.[22]
United Biscuits in 1992 decided to concentrated its business on the savory snacks and biscuits, and sold Terry's Group to Philip Morris and its subsidiary Kraft Foods for £220 million. Terry's was amalgamated with Chocolat Suchard, to form Terry's Suchard, in 1993 after Philip Morris purchased Jacob Suchard Tobler.[26][27][28] From 2000, the company brand was changed from Terry's of York to Terry's, reducing the company's links with York. Production was also scaled back to UK products and Terry's Chocolate Orange, Terry's All Gold, and Twilight made for the international market. Kraft had promised unions that production was being moved as the factory was not capable to handle production, and that they were looking for new sites in York.[29]
