Say goodbye to those conversation hearts – AKA Sweethearts candy. Necco candy company, the sweets producer responsible for the colorful treats that were popular on Valentine’s Day, announced abruptly on Tuesday, July 24, that operations at its Massachusetts plant have ceased.
The unexpected shut down comes after the entity that bought the company at bankruptcy auction in May – Round Hill Investments – announced it had sold Necco to another candy manufacturer. Necco’s new owner, which has yet to be identified, hasn’t confirmed whether or not production will resume.
“Round Hill Investments was very excited to acquire Necco’s historic brands and to be part of their national resurgence,” the company said, per The Boston Globe. “After careful engagement and consideration, however, the firm decided to sell the brands to another national confection manufacturer and today announced the closure of the operations in Revere, Massachusetts.”
Since Necco’s 230 employees had expected the company to remain open through at least November, when its lease at the Revere plant is scheduled to expire, many were said to be “stunned” by Tuesday’s announcement.
The news also sent shockwaves through Twitter, as many users sympathized with Necco’s employees and were forced to say an abrupt goodbye to some of their favorite candies. In addition to the Sweethearts candy hearts, Necco, which is America’s oldest continuous candy producer, also manufactured the classic Necco Wafers, Mary Jane, Thin Mints, Clark Bars and the Sky Bar.
Take a look at some of the Twitter reactions below:
Did I just buy a ridiculous amount of Necco wafers after hearing that the plant has closed?
Yes.
Yes, I did.— Joanne Freeman (@jbf1755) July 25, 2018
I'll brb, I need to go buy 37 boxes of Necco wafers.
— Roadystyle (@Roadystyle1) July 25, 2018
Sad news if you love classic candies like Sweethearts and Necco wafers. Hopefully, this is not the end. https://t.co/VgdGIkyEQf
— Rolando Pujol (@RolandoPujol) July 25, 2018
I sincerely hope there’s a historical preservation effort in the works. To just shut the doors on the longest continuously running candy company in America is garbage, especially for the workers who were laid off months earlier than expected. https://t.co/TkOUFNhAIJ
— Kevin Slane (@kslane) July 25, 2018
[faintly] but my wafers https://t.co/tI7j1GtKG8
— Jane Ritt 🎲📝✨ (@heymermaid) July 25, 2018
Did I just hear NECCO. Has shut down? Bummer pic.twitter.com/irihxAWsH7
— Kevin Dooley (@teamdooley) July 25, 2018
Was v. disappointed to hear that workers at Necco in #RevereMA lost their jobs very abruptly; I am heartened to hear the community has reached out to support them and help them find jobs. @MayorArrigo ‘s office is on top of it!! https://t.co/sIPAq42TU4
— Jyoti (@jyoti__gupta) July 26, 2018
Tell Us: Will you miss Necco’s candies?
