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Just Born, Inc. History

The Just Born candy tradition started in 1910, the year Sam Born immigrated to the United States from Russia.  A candy maker by trade, Born was also ingenious in the use of technology.  Some of his more famous inventions include chocolate sprinkles, known as “jimmies,” and the hard coating on ice cream bars.  In 1916, Born won the “keys” to the city of San Francisco for inventing a machine that mechanically inserted sticks into lollipops.  Before long, he opened several stores in New York, developing a reputation as a clever entrepreneur and marketer.  Born displayed his sweet confections in his store windows and marketed them with a sign declaring them so fresh, it was as if they were “just born.”

In 1923, Born started his own manufacturing company located at 8 East 12th Street in New York City.  Irv Shaffer, Born’s brother-in-law, joined the company to help market the confections, and Jack Shaffer, Born’s other brother-in-law, came on board to work in sales.  The company called Just Born, made New York City its home until the height of the Depression.  In 1932, the company moved its operations to an empty factory in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where Just Born soon became an important employment source for this well-known steel town.

Just Born has grown significantly through the acquisition of other candy companies including, The Rodda Candy Company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, acquired in 1953.  Although better known for its Jelly Bean technology, Rodda’s small line of three-dimensional MARSHMALLOW PEEPS® intrigued the Just Born management.

Early on, the marshmallow Easter chicks were made by hand.  Sam Born’s son Bob, who had joined the company in 1946, and would later become president for over 30 years, was part of a two-man team that mechanized the marshmallow forming process. This modernization dramatically increased the number of PEEPS® made each year.  Today, Just Born is the largest manufacturer of seasonal marshmallow confections in the United States with the PEEPS® Brand the top-selling non-chocolate Easter confection for the last decade.

Also “born” during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s were chewy candies in several sizes, shapes and dozens of flavors.  Fruit-flavored MIKE AND IKE® candies and cinnamon-flavored HOT TAMALES® were introduced to still pervasive national acclaim.  

In April 2003, Just Born completed the acquisition of The Goldenberg Candy Company, maker of PEANUT CHEWS®.   Just Born took the PEANUT CHEWS® Brand national in April 2005.

Brought up in the family’s candy business and becoming Co-Presidents in 1992, cousins Ross Born and David Shaffer assumed responsibility of Just Born in 1983 from their fathers, Bob Born and Jack Shaffer.  Later becoming Co-CEOs, Born and Shaffer named Samuel L. Torrence President, which he will remain until June 2008 when he will retire.  In 2007, Matt Petronio became Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.  Just as the company’s leadership is family-oriented and multi-generational, so is Just Born’s dedicated workforce of 560 associates.  Just Born now markets its confections in over 50 countries.