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Though the Elmer family no longer owns Elmer's Candy Company, it's still a family-owned business: Vice-president and CEO Rob Nelson oversees the training of a fourth generation of Nelsons to produce the seasonal treats.
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Photo by Tracie Morris/Donn Young Studios
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Hey Blake,
New Orleans is known for its Heavenly Hash Eggs, Gold Brick Eggs and Chee Weez. Where was the original Elmer's Candy Factory? Does the Elmer family still own it?
Jackie
Dear Jackie,
Well, perhaps our city might have a few other claims to fame such as Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and the French Quarter, but Elmer's goodies certainly make me glad I live in New Orleans where they are readily available -- especially around Easter.
The original candy company wasn't even called Elmer's because it was founded by Christopher Henry Miller. He was a German lad of 16 when he arrived in New Orleans in 1845 to seek his fortune. His first job was in a pastry shop, but by the time he was 24, he had become an American citizen, married Mary Wetzel, and opened the Miller Candy Company on the corner of Jackson and Levee streets.
By the time he died in 1902, Miller had established himself as a man of excellent reputation in his business and personal life. His candy-making business was a success. However, Miller didn't spend all his time at the factory; the Millers had 13 children. One of their daughters married Augustus Elmer.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Augustus and three of his brothers-in-law gave the company a new name: Miller-Elmer. But when Augustus' sons joined the business in 1914, the name became Elmer Candy Company.
It was in the 1920s that the company acquired the secret recipe for the locally made confection consisting of chocolate, marshmallow and roasted almonds and began mass-producing Heavenly Hash Eggs. And in the 1930s came the now-famous Gold Bricks, also known as pecan melt-a-ways. The company uses a unique recipe for making these goodies. When you bite into the smooth, creamy chocolate, the temperature in your mouth makes the chocolate just melt away.
When the Gold Bricks first appeared, the going price for a candy bar was about a nickel. Many people said that folks would never pay a whole dime for a smaller candy bar, but the company felt that its product was superior. And it was right because the candy was wildly popular.
For the next 60 years, the company grew, added more factories and branched out, producing non-candy items such as preserves and snacks. Elmer's products were sold in all 50 states.
In 1963, Roy Nelson purchased the entire Elmer Company, and it moved to Ponchatoula -- about 45 miles from New Orleans.
But there were more changes to come. Competition with national companies caused Elmer's to cease the production of some of the favorite snacks and candies we grew up with: "Coconut Haystacks," "Mint Bubblets" and "Chee Weez." Instead, Elmer's decided to concentrate on seasonal candy for Christmas, Easter and Valentine's Day. Today, the company is very successful and is the "second largest heart box chocolate manufacturer in the country." I, personally, may keep them in business during Easter when I must consume my weight in Gold Brick Eggs, Heavenly Hash Eggs and the new Peanut Butter Eggs.
And you will be happy to know that the Nelson family is continuing the candy-making tradition and even now is training the fourth generation, so we can be fairly certain that this Louisiana company will remain a part of our holiday traditions.
Now, lest my readers say, "Hold on, Blake. I eat Chee Wees all the time. What do you mean they are no longer made?" I need to clear up a common misconception. There is another unrelated company with a similar name: Elmer's Fine Foods Inc. located on Port Street here in New Orleans. They have been making yummy snacks since 1946. However, their cheese snack -- which comes in five flavors -- is called "Chee Wees," spelled with an "s," not a "z." This company does not make candy, but does produce cheese popcorn, tortilla chips and dry-roasted peanuts. Unlike chocolate eggs, Chee Wees can be found in vending machines, stores everywhere and at all seasons, and at the end of practically every running race held in the city.
