[Squeek]

My GF and I took a day trip today to the Hershey Chocolate factory in Smith Falls Ontario. Most excellent!

Is there anyone that would not get giddy about going to a chocolate factory? I dare you to find someone that would hate it.

As soon as we stepped out of the car the delicious smell of chocolate smacked us both in the gob, and the grin stretched wide across my face.

The factory itself is in the process of being phased out, as Hershey has decided it would be more profitable to move it to Mexico. Smith Falls is a town of 9,000 people and 600 of them are employed by the plant. Not to mention that the factory tours and chocolate shop bring about a half million people to the town every year, so it is obviously a big blow to the local economy

We had a great time. We took the self guided tour, saw tanks of chocolate and looked at vintage Hershey's paraphernalia. We stopped by the chocolate shop and bought a bunch of goodies. All in all, a great way to spend the afternoon. Oh yeah, they had 10lb Eatmore bars and 5lb chocolate bars for sale in the shop...sweet!

If you live within driving distance, you should drop by for a look and a taste before the opportunity disappears forever.

 

[wafflesomd]

I took a trip to one in PE. when I was little.

I am proud to be the 40th person in the U.S. to eat a Cookies and Cream bar.

 

[mrarroyo]

I will try not to be political.

Ususally I say let the economics determine where you conduct buisness. However there are times that far more than economics are involved (it took me way to long to figure this out) and it would be best if the factory stayed in Smith Falls. I mean, how long has it been there?

 

[F107plus5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I will try not to be political. Ususally I say let the economics determine where you conduct buisness. However there are times that far more than economics are involved (it took me way to long to figure this out) and it would be best if the factory stayed in Smith Falls. I mean, how long has it been there?

......and was the plant originally moved from the US to Canada to gain more profits, and how long will the new plant remain in Mexico before it is again moved to gain even more new profits.

 

[GlendaleViper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I will try not to be political. Ususally I say let the economics determine where you conduct buisness. However there are times that far more than economics are involved (it took me way to long to figure this out) and it would be best if the factory stayed in Smith Falls. I mean, how long has it been there?

This is a most excellent statement!

Squeek, I've been to that factory and, like you, felt a little like I was in a wonderland. And the shop had crazy stuff I hadn't seen in Canada since the 80s like Sugardaddys and PayDay or Mr. Goodbar(?)

Two things have made me salivate as much as I did when the "wall of chocolate" hit my nose:

1) Duff's Famous Wings
2) Tear Jerkers gumballs

I'll try to get there again while it's there.

 

[Squeek]

Quote:

Originally Posted by F107plus5 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ......and was the plant originally moved from the US to Canada to gain more profits, and how long will the new plant remain in Mexico before it is again moved to gain even more new profits.

It wasn't moved from the US, it was the 4th factory that Hershey brought online and the 1st in Canada. It never took the place of an existing factory in the USA, Hershey just expanded into Canada.

The factory has been open for around 30 years, though I could not give an exact date.

I understand that the purpose of a business is to make money, and that often requires them to move shop, it is just sad in this case because it is so ingrained in the community of Smith Falls. Its loss will be devastating to the community. Hershey was absolutely adored by the community. Even after the announced shut down, you'd be hard pressed to hear anyone speak bad about them as an employer.

 

[F107plus5]

Good company; bad board.

 

[Squeek]

Scratch that...45 years. I took the history of the facility from the website

History
In 1962, after years of studying the Canadian confectionery market, The Hershey Company constructed its first plant outside of Hershey, Pennsylvania — in Smiths Falls, Ontario. Smiths Falls was selected because of the plentiful supply of milk and water. Smiths Falls was chosen also because of its adequate labour source, its location on direct rail lines and suitable transportation facilities

This location was also ideally situated between the two main marketing areas of Toronto and Montreal. Apparently, the police chief of the times stood out on the town's main street and stopped the first car with foreign license plates and proceeded to try to sell the town of Smiths Falls to its occupants. Luckily for Smiths Falls, the occupants of the car happened to be The Hershey Company delegates scouting the area for possible sites for a new plant.

The Smiths Falls plant was the first facility within The Hershey Company to incorporate a Visitors Gallery inside the facility. The plant’s official opening was in June of 1963 and the Visitor's Gallery received 960 visitors on opening day.

The Smiths Falls facility began production in 1963 with 200,000 square feet of working space capable of producing 200,000 bars a day. The products introduced at the facility were 5¢ and 10¢ chocolate bars, instant chocolate, cocoa, chocolate chips, and chocolate syrup.

In 1965, a PEANUT BUTTER CUPS® candies line was added and this quickly became one of the company’s best selling bars.

By the following year, 1966, the Smiths Falls Plant employed 105 people, and, with the introduction of HERSHEY-ETS® candy coated milk chocolates, chocolate covered peanuts and chocolate covered raisins it had 22 different products.

By the mid 70’s, the cost of a chocolate bar had risen to 25¢ and sales for the Smiths Falls Plant had reached approximately $20,000,000 per year.

1980 saw the introduction of BROWN COW® chocolate syrup, Canada's best selling chocolate syrup, followed quickly in 1982 by REESE'S PIECES® candies.

In 1983 after years of research, the formula for chocolate manufactured in Canada was changed to a creamier, smoother, lighter coloured and milder flavoured product more suitable to Canadian taste.

In 1987 Hershey Canada purchased the confectionery division of Nabisco Brand Canada bringing dramatic change to the Smiths Falls Plant. This resulted in the relocation of the PLANTERS®* peanut operation from Toronto to Smiths Falls. The acquisition also added the following brands to their product lines: LOWNEY®, LIFE SAVERS®*, PLANTERS®*, MOIRS®. (LIFE SAVERS and PLANTERS businesses have since been sold.)

The second significant change was the relocation of the LOWNEY operation from Sherbrooke, Quebec in 1989 to the HERSHEY plant in Smiths Falls and the MOIRS plant in Dartmouth. A multitude of new products were introduced at Smiths Falls including OH HENRY!® candy bars, CHIPITS® chocolate chips, GLOSETTE® chocolate covered raisins and GLOSETTE chocolate covered peanuts, EAT-MORE® candy bars and CHERRY BLOSSOM® candy bars. With these additions, the chocolate facility was producing approximately 54 million pounds of chocolate per year.

In 1995 the PLANTERS peanut operation went solo and relocated to Toronto.

In 1996 HERSHEY purchased Leaf Confectionery. This resulted in the relocation of their MR. FREEZE® freezer snacks production line to Smiths Falls in 1998.

In February 1998, Garett Sanderson (a resident of Ottawa) became the HERSHEY CHOCOLATE SHOPPE® visitor's centre’s three millionth visitor. The occasion was marked with gifts, including a trip to Hershey, Pa., for 4 people.

The Smiths Falls facility employs an average of 600 personnel and produces 100,000+ pounds of product, per year. In the Spring of 2001, the HERSHEY CHOCOLATE SHOPPE store was doubled in size to accommodate our 300,000+ visitors, annually.

 

[F107plus5]

What's even more sad then is that Hershey bought out and incorporated a number of different manufacturers into their organization within the last twenty years, putting an additional batch of folks on unemployment even before shutting down the Smiths Falls facility.

...I'd patronize Nestles instead, but they are already owned by an overseas corporation with similar practices.

 

[kyleisgreat]

my aunt lives in smith falls, and she was angry about this. Hershey was the second largest employer there, right behind her employer. She has decided to boycott Hershey, which I never understood, because she still buys stuff from places like walmart

 

[uzziah]

rent "roger and me" ; my dad's family is from flint, michigan and he knows a lot of people in that film; that town has never recovered; anyway, i'm over dramatizing, that was a much bigger event with the closing of GM plants, but it makes me very sympathetic to this sort of thing; my grandfather's father was killed in an accident at GM and his son (my grandfather) was told that he's have a job right out of highschool; he walked out of highschool and into the factory, and worked for them his whole life, much of it making and designing new tools; and when all the plants were shut Flint was just destroyed. ok...sorry to derail

 

[bhd812]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squeek /img/forum/go_quote.gif In 1965, a PEANUT BUTTER CUPS® candies line was added and this quickly became one of the company’s best selling bars..

One of the single greatest inventions ever! at least to my taste buds..

they came out with the different versions of them awhile back, CARAMEL!!! YUMMMMMMMMY!!!!

I am so going to Walgreen's tonight to buy a bag of them..

 

[SayNoToPistons]

Is it true that you can smell chocolate once you enter the town?

 

[Squeek]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SayNoToPistons /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is it true that you can smell chocolate once you enter the town?

Yep. The closer you get, the stronger the smell. In the parking lot its enough to bowl you over.

 

[kyleisgreat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squeek /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yep. The closer you get, the stronger the smell. In the parking lot its enough to bowl you over.

I wouldn't say the whole town smells of chocolate. But you are right about the parking lot. Once you are there you damn well know you are in front of a chocolate factory.