Necco
Historic American confectionery brand best known for Necco Wafers, Sweethearts Conversation Hearts, and a portfolio of acquired candy brands.
Last updated August 22, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Necco was an American confectionery company and brand whose roots extended to the 1840s and whose corporate identity was established in 1901 as the New England Confectionery Company. It became one of the most recognizable candy manufacturers in the United States, particularly through Necco Wafers, a line of compressed sugar candies with roots in the products made by Chase and Company. The company also became associated with seasonal conversation hearts, chocolate and caramel bars, mints, malted candies, chews, and novelty sweets. The company originated through the combination of three Boston-area confectioners: Chase and Company, Ball and Fobes, and Bird, Wright and Company. The Chase brothers had developed candy-making machinery and produced sugar wafers as early as 1847. After the 1901 merger, the businesses moved into a purpose-built Boston manufacturing complex and expanded production during a period when industrial candy manufacturing was growing rapidly. Necco later established a major Cambridge factory, which became one of the best-known candy plants in the United States. Necco’s products had practical as well as commercial importance. During the Second World War, the United States government requisitioned a substantial share of its wafer production because the candies were durable and resistant to melting during transport. Over the following decades, Necco expanded by acquiring other candy businesses and brands, including Page & Shaw, Stark Candy Company, and Clark Bar America. These transactions broadened its portfolio and helped make it a major producer of conversation hearts through the combination of Stark’s Sweethearts with Necco’s Sweet Talk products. The company remained under financial pressure despite its brand heritage. Ownership changed several times, including a 1963 acquisition by United Industrial Syndicate and a 2007 buyout led by American Capital Strategies with Clear Creek Capital and company management. Necco consolidated manufacturing in Revere, Massachusetts, in 2003, but later faced declining employment, uncertainty over its tax-increment-financing commitments, attempts to sell the business, and the sale of its manufacturing complex to real-estate developers. In 2018, the company entered a decisive crisis. Its Revere facility faced serious food-safety findings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including evidence of rodent activity and unsanitary conditions. Necco’s assets were placed in a bankruptcy auction. Spangler Candy Company initially submitted the winning bid but withdrew, after which Round Hill Investments acquired the business for $17.33 million. Round Hill briefly operated it through Sweethearts, LLC, but soon announced the closure of the Revere plant. Necco’s brands and equipment were subsequently divided among several confectionery companies. Spangler acquired or retained rights to key products such as Necco Wafers, Sweethearts, and Canada Mints, while Boyer acquired the Clark Bar and other businesses obtained additional products. The original Necco company ceased operating as an integrated manufacturer, although several of its historic products continued under new ownership.
History
Necco’s history reaches back to 1847, when Oliver R. and Silas Edwin Chase founded Chase and Company. The brothers invented and patented an early American candy-making machine and used mechanized production to make sugar wafers and other confectionery products. Their wafer product became the ancestor of Necco Wafers, which were originally marketed as Hub Wafers. In 1901, Chase and Company combined with Ball and Fobes and Bird, Wright and Company, two other Boston-area confectioners. The merged enterprise adopted the name New England Confectionery Company, later shortened to Necco. The companies moved into a large manufacturing complex in Boston’s Fort Point–South Boston Waterfront district in 1902. The site benefited from nearby rail and water transportation and became a major center for candy production, sugar handling, and distribution. The company introduced a profit-sharing plan in 1906 as its business expanded. Necco moved to a new Massachusetts Avenue factory in Cambridge in 1927. At the time, the facility was described as the largest factory in the world devoted exclusively to candy production. Necco Wafers became the company’s signature product, while the business also sold a widening selection of traditional sweets. During World War II, government authorities requisitioned a major portion of wafer output because the product was durable, did not melt easily, and could be transported to service members. The company developed its portfolio through licensing and acquisition. It was once the exclusive United States distributor of Rolo, but after losing that license it marketed a similar product under the name Milk Chocolate Caramel Roll. Necco acquired Page & Shaw in 1960 and was itself acquired by United Industrial Syndicate in 1963 while facing financial difficulties. In 1978, Domenic Antonellis became chief executive after a period marked by multiple reorganizations and leadership changes. During the latter half of the twentieth century, acquisitions became an important growth mechanism. Necco acquired Wisconsin-based Stark Candy Company in 1988. Stark’s Sweethearts, combined with Necco’s Sweet Talk line, strengthened the company’s position in conversation hearts. In 1999, Necco purchased Clark Bar America, adding the Clark Bar to its portfolio. By 2000, the business employed approximately 1,200 people. In 2003, Necco consolidated its facilities in a 52-acre Revere, Massachusetts, complex containing manufacturing and warehousing space. The former Cambridge factory was later used by Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, and the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Necco’s revenue was reported at approximately $100 million in 2005, but the company continued to encounter financial and operational challenges. American Capital Strategies organized a 2007 buyout in partnership with Clear Creek Capital and Domenic Antonellis. Necco closed its Pewaukee, Wisconsin, plant in 2008 and replaced Antonellis with former Procter & Gamble executive Richard Krause. The company explored a sale in 2010, but the process was suspended. At the same time, reports questioned whether Necco had met job-creation commitments linked to a tax-increment-financing agreement with Revere. The dispute led to the company’s participation in the relevant state economic-development program being decertified, although local officials voted to preserve the tax benefit. In 2017, the Revere manufacturing complex was sold to real-estate developers and leased back to Necco through August 2018. In March 2018, chief executive Michael McGee warned that much of the workforce could be laid off if a buyer was not found. Consumer interest in Necco Wafers and related products surged as customers feared discontinuation. The company’s final collapse followed an FDA inspection in May 2018 that identified serious violations of current good manufacturing practices and preventive-control rules. The inspection cited rodent activity and unsanitary conditions, and was reported as the fifth citation involving rodent infestation. Necco’s assets went through a bankruptcy auction. Spangler Candy Company initially submitted the winning bid, but withdrew. Round Hill Investments, controlled by C. Dean Metropoulos, then acquired the business for $17.33 million and briefly operated it under Sweethearts, LLC. Round Hill announced the immediate closure of the Revere facility in July 2018, citing sanitation issues. Approximately 230 workers were laid off. Spangler later became the purchaser of the business or key assets and planned to restart Necco Wafers, Sweethearts, and Canada Mints. Other products were distributed among different confectionery companies: Boyer obtained the Clark Bar, Doscher’s acquired candy buttons, Mega Candy obtained certain chews and lollipops, Log House Food acquired Haviland Thin Mints and Mighty Malt Milk Balls, and Mary Jane was licensed by Spangler to Atkinson Candy Company. The original integrated Necco manufacturer therefore ended, while individual legacy products continued under successor owners.
- 2018
Necco enters bankruptcy and changes ownership
[1]After food-safety findings and a search for a buyer, Necco’s assets are auctioned and acquired through successive transactions.
- 2018
Revere plant closes
[1]The historic manufacturing facility shuts down and Necco’s brands are dispersed among several buyers.
- 2017
Revere complex is sold
[1]The manufacturing property is sold to real-estate developers and leased back to Necco.
- 2003
Manufacturing is consolidated in Revere
[1]Necco consolidates production and warehousing at its Revere, Massachusetts, complex.
- 1999
Clark Bar America is acquired
[1]Necco purchases the Pittsburgh-based Clark Bar business.
- 1988
Stark Candy Company is acquired
[1]The acquisition brings Stark’s Sweethearts into Necco’s portfolio and reinforces its conversation-heart business.
- 1960
Page & Shaw is acquired
[1]Necco expands its product portfolio through the acquisition of the nearby confectionery company Page & Shaw.
- 1942
Wafers are requisitioned for wartime use
[1]The U.S. government takes a substantial share of wafer production because the candies withstand transport and heat.
- 1927
Cambridge factory opens
[1]Necco moves into a major Massachusetts Avenue factory described at the time as the world’s largest candy-only manufacturing plant.
- 1902
Boston manufacturing complex opens
[1]The newly combined company moves into a large confectionery complex in Boston’s waterfront district.
Products and positioning
Traditional American confectionery centered on heritage candy, nostalgic products, seasonal sweets, and durable sugar-based treats.
Sugar wafers · 1847
Necco Wafers
Necco Wafers are thin, round, compressed sugar candies descended from the wafer products made by Chase and Company in the nineteenth century. They became Necco’s signature product and were valued for their durability, including during wartime transport. The product remained central to the company’s identity even as ownership and manufacturing arrangements changed after 2018.
Seasonal candy
Sweethearts Conversation Hearts
Sweethearts are small conversation candies traditionally associated with Valentine’s Day. Necco strengthened its position in this category after acquiring Stark Candy Company and combining Stark’s Sweethearts with its existing Sweet Talk products. The brand became one of the most visible seasonal products in the Necco portfolio.
Chocolate bar
Clark Bar
The Clark Bar was a chocolate-covered candy bar acquired by Necco through its 1999 purchase of Clark Bar America. It was later separated from the Necco portfolio and sold to Boyer Candy Company during the 2018 asset disposals.
Mint confectionery
Haviland Thin Mints
Haviland Thin Mints were part of the Haviland division’s range of mint and specialty confectionery products. The brand was among the products separated from Necco after the 2018 closure and was sold to Log House Food.
Chocolate bar
Sky Bar
Sky Bar was one of the established chocolate products associated with Necco. It was not retained as part of the principal post-closure portfolio and was later offered through an online auction.
Controversies
2018
FDA findings at the Revere manufacturing facility
The FDA reported serious violations of food-manufacturing regulations, including evidence of rodent activity and unsanitary conditions. The inspection was described as the fifth citation involving rodent infestation and occurred shortly before the company’s final ownership transition and plant closure.
Brand decisions
2018
Sale through bankruptcy proceedingsM&ABackground
Necco faced financial distress, a threatened workforce reduction, food-safety findings, and uncertainty over its manufacturing site.
Action taken
Its assets were offered at auction. Spangler Candy Company initially won, withdrew, and Round Hill Investments subsequently acquired the business for $17.33 million.
Aftermath
Round Hill briefly operated the business, the Revere plant closed, and the product portfolio was divided among multiple confectionery companies.
Acquisition price. $17.33 million (2018)
2018
Disposal and licensing of legacy brandsStrategyBackground
The closure ended Necco’s integrated manufacturing operation and left its brands and equipment available for separate transactions.
Action taken
Products and equipment were sold or licensed to several confectionery businesses, including Spangler, Boyer, Doscher’s, Mega Candy, Log House Food, and Atkinson Candy Company.
Aftermath
Necco Wafers, Sweethearts, and Canada Mints were positioned for continuation under successor ownership, while other brands moved to different operators.
2003
Consolidation of manufacturing in RevereStrategyBackground
Necco operated multiple facilities while managing a broad portfolio of candy products.
Action taken
The company consolidated manufacturing and warehousing in a large Revere, Massachusetts, complex.
Aftermath
The Revere site became Necco’s principal operating base until its closure in 2018.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/necco · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled