The Atkinson Candy Company is a

candy Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English Australian English (AusE, AusEng, AuE, AuEng, en-AU) is the set of varieties of the English language native to Australia. It is the country's common language an ...

company based in Lufkin, Texas, best known for producing the Chick-O-Stick.

History

Atkinson Candy Company is a private company founded in 1932 by B.E. Atkinson, Sr., and his wife, Mabel C. Atkinson. It started when Basil E. Atkinson made two-day treks to Houston to purchase candy and tobacco, then he would sell it to mom-and-pop shops on the return trip. The company currently operates out of a facility, and is led by Eric Atkinson, grandchildren of the founders. The third and fourth generations of the Atkinson family are now running the Atkinson Candy Company.

Judson-Atkinson Candies

In 1983, Atkinson purchased another local company, the Judson Candy Company, later known as Judson-Atkinson Candies, from the Pearl Brewing Company. Judson-Atkinson was founded in 1899, and was based in San Antonio, Texas. In 2011, Judson-Atkinson shut down business due to the high prices of sugar and raw materials. Judson-Atkinson Candy Company used about four million pounds of sugar each year to make their bulk candies.

Product line

Atkinson Candy Company specializes in

peanut butter Peanut butter is a food paste or spread made from ground, dry-roasted peanuts. It commonly contains additional ingredients that modify the taste or texture, such as salt, sweeteners, or emulsifiers. Peanut butter is consumed in many countri ...

and peppermint-flavored candies. The current product line includes the Chick-O-Stick,

Coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

Long Boys,

peanut brittle Brittle is a type of confection consisting of flat broken pieces of hard sugar candy embedded with nuts such as pecans, almonds, or peanuts, and which are usually less than 1 cm thick. Types It has many variations around the world, such as ''p ...

, mint twists, Peanut Butter Bars, and

holiday A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...

candy. Atkinson also produces a premium hard candy line known as Gemstone Candies. In 2013, Atkinson acquired the candies Black Cow, Slo Poke and Sophie Mae from

The Warrell Corporation The Warrell Corporation is a confectionery and snack food manufacturing company based in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. History The company was established in 1965 by Lincoln Warrell, originally named ''Pennsylvania Dutch Candies''.< ...

. In 2019, they reached a licensing agreement with Spangler Candy Company to make the former Necco candy,

Mary Janes Mary Jane (also known as bar shoes or doll shoes) is an American term ( formerly a registered trademark) for a closed, low-cut shoe with one or more straps across the instep. Classic Mary Janes for children are typically made of black leather ...

References

Confectionery companies of the United States Food and drink companies established in 1932 Lufkin, Texas Companies based in Texas 1932 establishments in Texas {{food-company-stub