 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1855 |
| Headquarters | Ponchatoula, Louisiana |
Key people | Robert Nelson, President[1] |
| Products | Confectionery |
Number of employees | 164 in 2014[2] |
| Website | Elmer Chocolate |
Elmer Candy Corporation is a confectionery company that was founded in 1855 as the Miller Candy Company in New Orleans, Louisiana.[2] The company sells seasonal holiday candies and, in 2014, was the second-largest manufacturer of Valentine boxed chocolate in North America.[2]
In 1855, a German immigrant, Christopher Henry Miller, started the Miller Candy Company in New Orleans.[3] When Augustus Elmer married Miller's daughter, the company name was changed in the early 1900s to Miller-Elmer Candy Corporation. Elmer's five sons joined the business and, around 1914, the company became Elmer Candy Corporation.[1]
In 1936, the Elmer brothers came up with a new cornmeal based cheese curl. A product naming contest was held in New Orleans, and the winning name entry was CheeWees. In 1946, a new company, Elmer's Fine Foods, was formed to market their new cheese curl product,[4] but the brothers continued operating Elmer Candy Corporation for their chocolate business.
In 1963, Roy Nelson, a native of Chicago, bought Elmer Candy Corporation, including the trademark name, CheeWees, from the descendants of Augustus Elmer.[3] The Elmer family retained control over Elmer's Fine Foods and continued to sell their cheese curls under various names.
In 1993, Elmer's Fine Foods repurchased the trademark name CheeWees from Elmer Candy Corporation.[4]
Roy Nelson recruited his son, Allan, to help manage Elmer Candy Corporation. In 1970, due to antiquated facilities in New Orleans, the Nelsons moved their company about 60 miles (97 km) northwest, to Ponchatoula, Louisiana.[1] In order to stay competitive with larger chocolate companies, the Nelsons concentrated on production of seasonal holiday chocolates (Valentine, Easter, and Christmas) for regional consumption.[5]
By 2004, Robert Nelson, Allan's son, was president of Elmer Candy Corporation.[1]
