Candyland

Spangler Candy Company in Northwest Ohio makes some of America's favorite classic candies. Just ask the residents of Bryan and they'll tell you this place is the sweetest town in America!

BY ANNIE LUST

There is something sweet about the city of Bryan. Fr. Andrew Wellmann detected it immediately when he arrived after being named pastor of St. Patrick, the local parish (as well as Sacred Heart in nearby Montpelier). “I noticed a very sweet smell in the air – a very good smell unlike any other I had experienced before,” he recalled. Take a spin around the small town in the northwest corner of the state, and you will notice it, too. Bryan is charming and vibrant, but there’s something more — it's sweet!

That sweetness is due in no small part to Spangler Candy Company. Even if the name is not familiar, its signature product undoubtedly is. Maybe your earliest memory of the treat is a bank teller handing you one from across the counter. Perhaps you remember a teacher rewarding you for answering a question correctly. If you are like Bill Martin, President of Spangler Candy Company, your first taste was while sitting in a barber’s chair. Or, like me, maybe the lollipop conjures memories of your grandfather, who always kept them in his pockets, eager to pass them to his grandchildren.

It is the iconic Dum-Dum lollipop, of course. Made exclusively in Bryan by Spangler since 1953, they are the number one lollipop in the nation. Dum-Dums are so synonymous with Bryan that the local water tower was recently repainted to showcase them. Eight colorful Dum-Dum lollipops, painted by muralist Eric Henn, literally tower 160 feet over the town.

Despite its most famous product, Spangler started as something else entirely. Arthur G. Spangler purchased the Gold Leaf Baking Powder Company for $450 in 1906. It was located in Defiance, but rather than moving himself to the company, he moved the company to his hometown. Rechristened the Spangler Manufacturing Company, it took up residence on the town square in Bryan. The company initially produced baking soda, baking powder, laundry starch and several other items. However, the second Spangler brother, Ernest, had a sweeter plan in mind.

Pictured left to right, Ernest Spangler, Omar Spangler and Arthur Spangler in 1915.

PHOTO COURTESY SPANGLER CANDY COMPANY

By 1914, Spangler had several popular candies on its resume, including Creme Peanut Clusters, Cocoanut Balls, Bryan Drops, chocolate bars and more. Bill Martin, the first nonfamily member to be named president of the company, cannot help but smile when reflecting on the tenacity of the founders. “There weren’t delivery trucks, much less refrigerated delivery trucks. They were literally delivering their chocolates in the back of buggies pulled by horses with a block of ice to keep them from melting. They faced some massive hurdles just to get the product to market,” he said. Despite the challenges, Spangler excelled at candy making so much that they dropped the other products and became Spangler Candy Company, as it is known today. With the company’s growth, the third Spangler brother, Omar, joined the company, bringing his mechanical and bookkeeping expertise. It was a family business in the truest sense. “In the stories I’ve been told, the three brothers would walk to work together, have lunch together, then walk home together in the evening,” Bill Martin explained.

The Spangler Candy Company location in 1908 on South Main Street in Bryan.

PHOTO COURTESY SPANGLER CANDY COMPANY

The Spangler brothers and their children (the second generation) ran the company for decades unless duty called them elsewhere. In the 1940s, millions of men, including the Spangler second generation, went overseas to fight in World War II. Women throughout the country, stepped in to fill vital manufacturing roles at home. The Spangler second generation women were no exception, helping keep the company strong during wartime. Fortunately, all the Spangler men returned from their various WWII posts around the globe.

By then, dozens of candy varieties were being produced. One of the newest products was Marshmallow Circus Peanuts, Spangler's version of a popular “penny candy.” While many candies have been discontinued in the intervening decades, the Marshmallow Circus Peanuts have stood the test of time.

In the 1950s, the second generation of Spangler family members was running the company, and they made two decisions that would expand the company significantly. First, Spangler Candy purchased Dum-Dums from Akron Candy. In the first year, they produced 84 million Dum-Dums in seven flavors: lemon, lime, orange, coconut-pineapple, cherry, grape and butterscotch. Today, Spangler makes 12 million Dum-Dums per day. They are the number one lollipop in the United States. In 1954, Spangler began producing candy canes. Today, they are the largest candy cane manufacturer in the world, producing about 500 million candy canes each year. In fact, if you purchased a candy cane last year — from the traditional red and white peppermint to the multi-colored Starburst flavored — the odds are very high that it was made at Spangler.

By the 1960s, Spangler employed many women. This group is packaging mints.

PHOTO COURTESY SPANGLER CANDY COMPANY

By the 1970s, as the third generation of Spangler family members stepped into leadership, the company’s manufacturing focus was shifting to hard candy. Greg Spangler, grandson of Ernest Spangler, took over in 1977, and his cousin Dean, grandson of Omar, succeeded Greg in 1996. During their tenure, the company was focused around the flagship brand, the Dum-Dum lollipop. Dean was at the helm in 2006 as Spangler celebrated 100 years in business with a huge community-wide party and parade.

Spangler’s most recent acquisition, Bit-O- Honey, required a factory expansion. The honey flavored taffy with almond bits blended in began rolling off the line in 2023.

While it might be a cliche to call a business a family, it’s difficult to see Spangler as anything but. It’s still owned and operated by the fourth generation of the Spangler family, but it goes further. Kirk Vashaw, the Chairman and CEO and greatgrandson of Omar Spangler, knows the people who work for him, as does President Bill Martin. They are regulars on the floor, chatting with employees such as Rena Buchanan, who works as a Circus Peanut cook and Pacencia Andrews, who works as a candy packer. These are friends, fellow parishioners. “These are the people I sometimes sit near at Mass,” Bill Martin explained. “And just a few seats away at the same Mass might be former third generation CEOs Dean Spangler and Greg Spangler, as well as a few other members of the company’s current Management Team.” When Fr. Andrew Wellmann toured the factory, many of the faces were familiar to him, as well. “As I was walking throughout the factory, it was a great joy to see several parishioners working on various candy lines. What a great reminder of the dignity of the worker and of Spangler Candy Company’s commitment to its employees,” Fr Andrew Wellmann said.

Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, Fr. Andrew Wellmann and Brian Doyle were treated to a factory tour in February 2023.

PHOTO COURTESY BISHOP DANIEL E. THOMAS

Since its founding, Spangler has been dedicated to being a positive force in its community, a dedication written into the company’s basic beliefs. “If something is happening in our community, we want to be a part of it,” Bill Martin said. He mentions many projects that Spangler has supported in recent years, including a new school. Perhaps their proudest community accomplishment is the Spangler Foundation, which provides scholarships for local students to attend college. “Education has always been important to the Spangler family.” Kirk continued, “All our employees are eligible to participate in our Tuition Reimbursement Program. We have lots of people who have used the program to work their way up from an entry level candy packer position to a managerial position. We even had someone make it all the way to become an Executive VP.”

While it’s clear that Spangler loves Bryan, there’s no doubt that the love is mutual. Unlike many small communities whose populations have decreased in recent decades, Bryan has continued to grow. In 2020, 8,729 residents called Bryan home, the city’s largest-ever population. “Spangler Candy Company is truly invested in the city of Bryan. The company employs many people, is very active in local organizations, and generously supports many community projects.” It’s clear that Spangler is beloved in Bryan everywhere you turn. Whether it’s chatting with locals, driving past candy-themed murals, or visiting the website (visitbryanohio.com), they are enjoying the sweet life in Bryan. 