Ohio company saves the day, but when will Necco Wafers make a comeback?

Cincinnati Enquirer

Necco Wafers are displayed in Boston. Four bidders are vying to buy New England Confectionery Company, of Revere, Mass., the bankrupt manufacturer of Necco Wafers, Sweethearts and other iconic candies. A bankruptcy auction is scheduled for Wednesday, May 23, 2018. Necco said in March is will close and lay off hundreds of workers if a buyer isn't found. The company traces its roots to 1847 and calls itself the nation's oldest continuously operating candy company.

After the threat of demise for Sweethearts and Necco Wafers, a childhood staple for many, an Ohio company has saved the day.

Spangler Candy Company, a Bryan, Ohio-based company that makes Dum-Dums, purchased the brands and equipment to make the confections after New England Confectionery Company announced it would go bankrupt.

So when will Sweethearts and Necco wafers be back on the shelves?

Spangler Chairman and CEO Kirk Vashaw said it might be a few months.

More:An Ohio candy company just bid $14.5M to save Necco Wafers

“There are a lot of manufacturing challenges and unanswered questions at this point, and we want to make sure these brands meet consumer expectations when they re-enter the market," Vashaw said in a statement.

Sweethearts are made by the New England Confectionery Company (NECCO) and their iconic Sweethearts Conversation Hearts is kicking off Valentine's Day by unveiling 10 new sayings to its line of Sweethearts (shhh, the theme of the new sayings is "Love's in the Forecast," with all of the sayings relating to mother nature and the unpredictability of weather/love).

The Sweethearts relaunch is slated for the 2020 Valentine's season and Necco Wafers will make a comeback in 2019.

“Sweethearts and Necco Wafers are iconic brands with rich hundred-year-plus histories. These are perfect additions to our portfolio of traditional candies,” Vashaw said. “We are particularly excited about the Sweethearts brand. Many people have memories of sorting through their box of Sweethearts to find just the right message to share.”

Spangler Candy Company has been family owned and operated in Bryan since 1906. It is one of the largest lollipop producers in the world with its Dum-Dums brand, and the only major candy cane producer in the United States, the company said.