Hershey's

Before Hershey's became a globally recognized brand for over a century, the journey of its founder, Milton Hershey, was far from smooth. He faced repeated failures before achieving immense success, with revenues exceeding 200 billion Thai Baht per year. Today, Rimping Supermarket invites you to delve into the history of this legendary chocolate brand.

From Small Sweet Shop to Successful Caramel Company (1876 - 1893 AD)

Milton Hershey's story began in his childhood. Hershey grew up in a financially struggling family with limited education. At 14, he had to leave school to work. He started at a local confectionery, learning a lot about making sweets, which sparked his dream of opening his own shop.

After four years of work, Hershey quit and established his small sweet shop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The shop sold all the sweets he made himself, including ice cream.

However, due to his lack of business management experience, his shop struggled to turn a profit and eventually had to close. He then sought employment again, working in a caramel factory. This factory ignited his passion and interest in caramel production. He gained experience to establish his own business once more.

Later, Hershey decided to quit his job and open another sweet shop in Chicago, though he wasn't selling caramel yet. This time, his business also failed. But he didn't give up. Hershey then moved to New York City to open a sweet shop named Hershey's Fine Candies, but it again proved unsuccessful. This marked his third business failure.

Despite multiple failures, Hershey's entrepreneurial spirit never waned. In 1886, he started a new business, this time focusing primarily on caramel production. He borrowed money from a bank to establish the Lancaster Caramel Company. He then developed a caramel recipe, eventually perfecting one made from fresh milk the first of its kind and launched it under the name Hersheys Crystal A with the slogan Melt in your mouth.

Lancaster Caramel became Hershey's first successful business, as he learned from his past mistakes. Luck also played a part. One day, a British customer visiting Philadelphia tried his caramel candies and was so impressed that they ordered a large quantity to be shipped to England. This brought a substantial sum of money to the company, allowing him to repay the bank and use the remaining funds to expand his business, leading to continuous growth of his factory.

The Shift to Chocolate and a Far-Reaching Vision (1893 - 1912 AD)

Then, another turning point occurred in 1893 when Hershey attended the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. At this event, he encountered a German chocolate-making machine for the first time, which greatly interested him. He ultimately decided to purchase this machine, believing that the chocolate market would certainly be larger than the caramel market in the future.

And so, a major decision was made. Hershey sold the Lancaster Caramel Company to a competitor to focus solely on chocolate production. He established the Hershey Chocolate Co. in 1894 in his hometown of Philadelphia and built a factory, which today has become the largest chocolate factory in the world.

Hershey aimed to produce affordable chocolate for everyone, as he had not had the opportunity to enjoy good sweets at low prices in his youth. Therefore, he wanted chocolate, which had traditionally been a luxury for the wealthy, to become accessible to all.

Hershey's factory incorporated innovation and technology, enabling mass production of chocolate at low costs. The first chocolate product launched was a powdered chocolate called Hershey's Cocoa. After its release, it quickly gained popularity. Later, in 1900, the company launched a milk chocolate bar called Hershey's Milk Chocolate, which remains the brand's bestseller to this day.

However, Hershey's vision extended beyond chocolate. He believed that creating happiness in the community around his factory would provide a better quality of life for his workers. In 1905, he began building a small town called Hershey's Chocolate Town, a model community where people were proud to live.

This small town featured villages, schools, churches, parks, amusement parks, recreational facilities, affordable public transport, all within a beautiful environment. Naturally, his employees and their families resided there, as Hershey wanted his employees to have a good quality of life and be happy.

The school Hershey built, named Milton Hershey School, was originally an orphanage. Today, it has evolved into a co-educational institution providing free education to underprivileged children, supporting all children to gain a good education and reach their potential. The scholarships are funded by the profits of the Hershey company itself.

In 1912, Hershey narrowly avoided the Titanic disaster. He and his wife had tickets for the Titanic, but on the morning of departure, he forgot something important at home and had to return to retrieve it. This caused him to miss the first voyage of the Titanic, and the unexpected tragedy occurred afterward. It was another stroke of luck that he did not travel on the Titanic.

Growth During World Wars and Empire Expansion (1940s - Present)

After that incident, Hershey returned to work and began expanding his product lines. During World War II, the U.S. Army requested Hershey's assistance in producing high-energy, weather-resistant, and melt-proof chocolate for soldiers. He then developed two types of chocolate: the Tropical Chocolate Bar and The Field Ration D, specifically for American soldiers. Both chocolates were durable in various temperatures and weather conditions, unlike Hershey's original products, which melted easily.

With these special properties, not only were they popular with American soldiers, but Hershey's Tropical Chocolate Bar was also chosen as provisions for astronauts traveling to the moon aboard Apollo 15.

During World War II, a Great Depression occurred. Hershey initiated a project called The Great Building Campaign to provide employment for jobless people. Through this project, he hired over 600 workers to build new landmarks, including a hotel, cinema, park, Sports Arena, bar, and many other institutions, which still thrive today.

Historically, the Hershey Hotel was built to house and provide welfare for his workers before being opened as a general hotel today. It is recognized as one of the best accommodations in the United States. Guests can enjoy many activities at the hotel, such as spas, golf, tennis, indoor swimming, and more.

In the late 20th century, Hershey continued to innovate. The company adopted modern marketing techniques and expanded its product lines to meet consumer demands, including dairy products, gummies, candies, baked goods, snacks, syrups, new milk chocolate bars, and much more.

Today, Hershey is one of the largest and most recognized chocolate manufacturers in the world. The company continues to expand its diverse products and maintain Hershey's philanthropic management approach, even after his passing (Milton Hershey passed away on October 13, 1945, at the age of 88, after the end of World War II).