Blasts from the Past: 47 Years of Candy and Coating with S&B Finishing
What do Reese’s Pieces and S&B Finishing, home of Chicago Powder Coat, have in common?
If you said, “Both are known for high-gloss, hard-to-nick coating in bright bold colors,” you’re right–and have a creative mind!
If you answered, “Both came into existence in 1978,” you’re also right.
Coincidentally, Hershey Chocolate introduced a coated peanut butter-flavored candy called Reese’s Pieces the very same year Kenny Spielman opened the doors at S&B Finishing.
“While candy fads may come and go, as long as weather and harsh conditions exist, powder coating finishing will be in demand,” says S&B President Kenny Spielman. “We welcome any company, enterprise, or individual that needs to protect metal parts and equipment to reach out to us. We look forward to hearing from you.”
Now 47 years later it’s hard to imagine the world without either!
One year, two different beginnings
Flashing back to 1978, the year started with Spielman finalizing details at the shop on North Carpenter Street. S&B Finishing began operating on January 23. Three days later Chicago faced whiteout conditions caused by a severe winter storm that dumped over 12 inches of snow.
Meanwhile, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, the makers of Hershey bars and kisses were getting ready to release a new candy coating that mimicked the flavor of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Originally, these oblate spheroid-shaped candies were going to be named PBs. Fortunately, before hitting the market in October, their name was changed to Reese’s Pieces.
Does history have a place in today’s business?
The brilliance behind a durable coating
Coating a candy and coating metal are worlds apart in terms of the process. However, when it comes to the advantages of having a protective coat, there are some similarities.
The extreme and harsh conditions Kenny and his new shop faced those first winters serve as a reminder of the critical role custom powder coating plays. Metal exposed to salt and other corrosive elements, extreme temperature changes, and impact or abrasion are commonplace in so many industries. Think marine applications where equipment is submerged underwater or vehicles that have metal parts subject to heat from motors and friction or even outdoor railings exposed to the weather. To give metal in these situations a fighting chance, powder coat finish is the best solution.
Unlike liquid paint application, which can be messy, uneven, and toxic, powder coating is cleaner for the environment and requires less cleanup because the powder is applied electrostatically and then cured under heat. This enables the powder to flow until it forms a skin-like coating over an object resulting in a durable finish that lasts longer than liquid paints.
Coated candy, similarly, protects meltable ingredients like peanut butter, gum, and chocolate from melting in the sun or a in kid’s warm palms. The technology behind the sugar-coating process used for candy like M&Ms, gobstoppers, candy machine gumballs, and Reese’s Pieces is called panning. Specifically, hard panning is the process used while candies like jelly beans are coated using soft panning. The equipment and process are the same for both, but different ingredients and speeds are necessary.
Panning has its origins in the pharmaceutical industry to make pills easier to swallow while the first sugar panning is traced back to 17th century France. M&M, perhaps the best-known panned candy was introduced in 1941 by Forrest E. Mars, Sr and Bruce Murrie. Due to their durability in all weather conditions, M&Ms were part of rations for U.S. soldiers during World War II.
The main idea behind coating is to protect what is inside. This is the case with powder coating on metal. Yet for food products, coatings also protect what is on the outside such as car upholstery, sofas, and movie theater seats. These hard-to-clean surfaces are spared the sticky or gooey stains caused by chocolate bars, chewing gum, and other uncoated confections, thus preventing headaches and aggravation. Parents and theater owners certainly appreciate the time and money and time saved.
An other-worldly launch into success
Not to be outdone by M&Ms which landed the distinction of being the first candy taken into space on the Columbia space shuttle, Reese’s Pieces got an out-of-this-world marketing boost.
Reese’s Pieces sales started to dip in the late 80s after a successful product launch followed by steady growth. At the time the company was building a new plant with additional manufacturing capability for the candy. Universal Studios called to say that Steven Spielberg was producing a new movie called “E.T.” in which Reese’s Pieces would play an important part. Hershey Chocolate accepted the invitation to support the movie’s promotion. In its first such partnership with Hollywood, Hershey supplied around a million dollars worth of marketing that featured E.T. in the form of store displays, consumer promotions, and trade promotions.
The movie E.T. was a huge hit. and publicity was incredible for the candy far more than the company expected. The new plant started operations just in time to handle soaring demand for Reese’s Pieces sparked by an extraterrestrial.
Drawing in customers has been a much more down-to-earth process for S&B Finishing. Word of mouth and returning customers have been the crux of what’s kept the company in business for these past 47 years. Add to that a couple of great sales reps and an online presence to fill out the company’s marketing.
“While candy fads may come and go, as long as weather and harsh conditions exist, powder coat finishing will be in demand,” says S&B President Kenny Spielman. “We welcome any company, enterprise, or individual that needs to protect metal parts and equipment to reach out to us. We look forward to hearing from you.”