2 Spangler plants crank out candy canes

The Ohio candy maker faced a possible threat from China.
TOLEDO BLADE
BRYAN, Ohio -- If demand for candy canes goes any higher, the Spangler Candy Co. may want to ask Santa Claus for some tips on meeting tight production schedules.
With Christmas less than two months away, Spangler's manufacturing plants in Ohio and Juarez, Mexico, are at record production levels -- cranking out 3 million flavored canes daily.
The company, which also makes Dum Dums, Saf-T-Pops and Circus Peanut candies, has been in a rush since June to increase candy cane production.
Output at the northwest Ohio factory, which had operated two eight-hour shifts five days a week through May, moved to three shifts a day in June. In September, the three-shift schedule was extended to Saturdays, the first time in its history that its work went six days around the clock.
On an average day this fall, eight to 16 tractor-trailer trucks arrive at the plant to haul away the canes.
At Juarez, three production shifts have been running all year five days a week. In September, Saturdays were added.
Overall look
When production begins to decrease in early December, Spangler's candy cane sales will be only about 10 percent above last year's. But monthly factory activity since September has been about 30 percent over past years, said CEO Dean Spangler.
The reason for the surge is a combination of luck and unexpected demand, the CEO said.
"One retailer, they'll be using over 1,200 truckloads just to service that retailer alone," Spangler said. "We're very busy, but it's a great problem to have."
Last year, the company heard rumblings that some top customers planned to buy candy canes from lower-cost manufacturers in China. Concerned it would get stuck with unwanted inventory, the company slowed first-quarter production.
But Spangler said that, surprisingly, the Chinese threat never emerged.
By June, customers were placing even bigger orders than before, and two retailers of specialty candy canes also chose to increase orders.
"We had to scramble to fulfill the customer demands," Spangler said.
Even when production is reduced in December, employment in Bryan will stay higher than a year ago, he said.
It's now about 415 hourly workers.