You Think You’re So Smart
Smarties Candy Company
Published: 9/29/2021
By: Gordon Dawson
As far back as my trick-or-treating years, I’ve been a huge fan of the tablet candy called Smarties. I can remember when Halloween was all said and done, my friends and I from the neighborhood would barter and make swaps for the favorite candy scored that evening. Coincidentally, none of my other friends liked Smarties, so I stood to score a whole lot of candy and get chores done by my neighborhood pals. Without remembering all the specifics, I recall my friend, Chris, really wanting something from my stash. It had to be chocolate, or maybe a large quantity of fresh Rice Crispy Treats that one of the houses gave out, which I returned to more than once, and I negotiated three days of taking my garbage can to the street on the designated garbage day. This was a big deal as I had a very steep driveway to push a loaded can up without wheels. He did it only once, but I still felt pretty good about it.
My documented love for this candy got me wondering about its origins and if there are any interesting facts behind making such a delicacy. Wikipedia to the rescue - here’s what I found out.
Smarties Candy Company, formerly known as Ce De Candy Inc, was started in 1949 by Edward Dee in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Dee being a migrant from England, began producing candy rolls with one wrapping machine and one tablet presser, which was a repurposed pellet making machine. He supported education, hence the name Smarties, which was his encouragement for people to be smart. Today, tablet candy is mass-produced in Union Township, New Jersey, and Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, making over a billion candy rolls each year. In its 3rd generation of being a family-owned and operated company, the company claimed the nostalgia of being one of a few remaining confectionary companies in the United States. Today it is co-presided by Edwards’s three granddaughters, Sarah Dee, Jessica Dee, and Liz Dee, and although they’re enamored with prospective buyer deals, the three agree, it is not for sale, vowing to keep it in the family. Recently, in 2019, Edward passed away but not until he made one last trip to the office to journal the daily sales in his ledger as he would do every day. According to Liz Dee, “Gramps, as everyone called him, came to work the day he died not because he had to, but because he wanted to.”
Unknown to me, mainly because I eat them in a particular way, I had no idea the candies had individual flavors. I always thought it was just a color thing and that they all tasted alike. Wrong - there are actually six unique flavors associated with its packaging of color:
White = Orange Cream
Yellow = Pineapple
Pink = Cherry
Green = Strawberry (oddly)
Purple = Grape
Orange = Orange
But equally as interesting, all Smarties are peanut-free for those who suffer from peanut allergies and are free from shellfish, fish, milk, eggs, soybean, and wheat. Additionally, Smarties are gluten-free and suitable for sustaining a healthy vegan/vegetarian diet. At only 25 calories per roll, I’ve made them a staple in my quest for living a healthy lifestyle.
Philanthropy
Smarties receive far more donation requests for worthy causes than could be possible to fulfill. Every year, the company allots a certain amount of candy for donations. Additionally, Smarties has created give-back campaigns to help serve the country and their local communities. “Smarties Think” initiative is partnered with DonorsChoose.org supporting classrooms in need by matching grants of $25,000 annually. These matching funds provided books and reading materials for more than 19,000 students in 149 public schools.
As for the article title, I didn’t have a clue where this research was going to lead, what rabbit hole I might fall down, but when I first stumbled across the name of the founder, Edward (Eddie) Dee, it brought me back to a memory whereby my mother-in-law, Dee, would repeatedly say in a very sarcastic manner, “you think you’re so smart.” It’s an inside joke, but fitting as it brought back a laughing moment for me while writing this. Love ya, Dee!
Context
Smarties Candy
Edward Dee, Founder of Smarties Candy Company
Inside a Smarties Factory
Thoughts
– Do you have a favorite candy or candy memory?
– Pro/cons of working with family?
– Do you think work ethics have changed in your lifetime?
