Tootsie Roll

What Tootsie Roll does

Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. is a publicly-traded (NYSE: TR) American confectionery manufacturer founded in 1896 by Leo Hirschfield in New York City and now headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The company manufactures and sells a portfolio of iconic candy brands including the flagship Tootsie Roll, Tootsie Pop, DOTS, Charms (Blow Pops, Sugar Daddy, Caramel Apple Pops), Andes Mints, Junior Mints, Dubble Bubble, Charleston Chew, Cella's, Sugar Babies, Cry Baby, Razzles, and Nik-L-Nip — many acquired through deals with Mason DOTS/Crows (1972), Cella's (1985), Charms (1988), Junior Mints et al. (1993), Andes Candies (2000), and Concord Confections (2004). Production runs through five North American facilities in Chicago, Cambridge MA, Covington TN, Delavan WI, and Concord ON, with daily capacity cited at 64 million Tootsie Rolls and 23 million DOTS/Crows at peak, supported by state-of-the-art production technology and consistent quality controls.

The business model is a wholesale/retail CPG play: Tootsie Roll generates revenue almost entirely through candy product sales via broad retail distribution (supermarkets, warehouse clubs, dollar stores, drug stores, convenience stores, vending machines), supplemented by company-operated e-commerce at shop.tootsie.com and shop.tootsie merch. Customers are individual consumers and the retail trade across the United States and Canada, with no enterprise/B2B contracts disclosed. Pricing is set at retail discretion and not publicly disclosed by the company; the portfolio is intentionally weighted toward non-chocolate SKUs, which structurally insulates gross margins from cocoa price volatility affecting chocolate-heavy competitors. Marketing is anchored by the refreshed Mr. Owl 'How Many Licks?' campaign across connected TV and social platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, Pinterest), supplemented by seasonal sweepstakes, recipe content, and brand-specific social accounts for each sub-brand.

The company is family-run (the Gordon family, with Ellen Gordon as CEO), 1001-5000 employees, and recognized by Forbes as one of America's 200 Best Small Companies. Strategic posture is steady, cash-generative, and modestly offensive: recent moves include the 2025 refresh of the 'How Many Licks?' campaign after 50+ years and the June 2026 launch of a new Mr. Owl chameleon campaign and 'The Berry Ones' fruit-flavored product at Walmart, alongside continued investment in D2C e-commerce and social media ecosystem.

Name

Tootsie Roll

Legal name

Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc.

Website

https://tootsie.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Tootsie Roll Industries is a 129-year-old publicly-traded American confectionery manufacturer (NYSE: TR) that produces and sells iconic candy brands including Tootsie Roll, Tootsie Pop, DOTS, Charms, Andes, Junior Mints, and Dubble Bubble through broad retail and e-commerce channels serving U.S. and Canadian consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Confectionery

NAICS

Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113), Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (311340)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)

akta.pro primary industry

Chocolate & Candy Snacks Manufacturing (AFAKAIAM)

Keywords

• Candy manufacturing
• Confectionery products
• Chewy chocolate candy
• Lollipop production
• Bubble gum brands

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Candy Product Sales: Tootsie Roll Industries generates revenue primarily through the manufacture and sale of confectionery products including Tootsie Rolls, Tootsie Pops, DOTS, Charms Blow Pops, Andes Mints, and other candy brands sold through retail and wholesale distribution channels

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Tootsie Roll Industries manufactures and sells a diversified portfolio of confectionery brands including Tootsie Rolls, Tootsie Pops, DOTS, Charms Blow Pops, Andes Mints, Dubble Bubble, Junior Mints, Cella's, Charleston Chew, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Babies, Cry Baby, Razzles, and Nik-L-Nip. Products are distributed through supermarkets, warehouse stores, vending machines, dollar stores, drug stores, convenience stores, and a company-operated e-commerce store. The company operates five manufacturing facilities across the United States and Canada.

Product overview

Tootsie Roll Industries is a pure-play candy manufacturer offering a diverse portfolio of confectionery products. The core offerings include the iconic Tootsie Roll and Tootsie Pop (lollipop with Tootsie Roll center), supplemented by multiple acquired brands including Charms (Blow Pops, Fluffy Stuff), Dubble Bubble (acquired 2004), DOTS gumdrops, Andes mints (Crème de Menthe, Peppermint Crunch, Toffee Crunch, Cherry Jubilee - acquired 2000), Junior Mints, Cella's Chocolate-Covered Cherries, Charleston Chews, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Babies, Cry Baby sour candies, Razzles, Nik-L-Nip, and Caramel Apple Pops. The company operates manufacturing facilities in Chicago (headquarters), Cambridge MA, Covington TN, Delavan WI, and Vaughan, Ontario, producing millions of pieces daily.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tootsie Roll: Original chewy chocolate candy invented by Leo Hirschfield in 1896
• Tootsie Pop
• Charms
• DOTS
• Andes Mints
• Dubble Bubble
• Junior Mints
• Charleston Chew
• Cella's
• Sugar Babies
• Cry Baby
• Razzles
• Nik-L-Nip
• Crows

Products and services

• Tootsie Roll The iconic oblong chewy chocolate candy that founded the company in 1896 and remains its flagship product, sold across all major retail channels in North America.
• Tootsie Pop Lollipop with a Tootsie Roll center, famous for the 'How Many Licks?' advertising campaign featuring the Mr. Owl mascot.
• Charms Blow Pops Popular lollipops produced by the Charms Company, featuring a chewy bubble gum center; part of the candy portfolio acquired through the Charms Company in 1988.
• DOTS Fruit-flavored gumdrop candies in colorful shapes; production exceeds 23 million pieces per day across DOTS and Crows lines.
• Andes Mints Mint chocolate candy brand including Andes Crème de Menthe Thins (flagship since 1950), Peppermint Crunch, Toffee Crunch, and Cherry Jubilee varieties; manufactured at the Delavan, WI Andes Candies facility.
• Dubble Bubble Bubble gum brand originally developed in 1928 as the first bubble gum on the market; now produced at the Concord, Ontario facility as part of the Concord Confections division.
• Junior Mints Mint chocolate candy with a chocolate cream center; produced at the Cambridge Brands facility in Cambridge, MA.
• Cella's Chocolate-Covered Cherries Chocolate-covered cherries brand acquired by Tootsie Roll Industries in 1985.
• Charleston Chew Chewy chocolate-flavored candy bar; manufactured at the Cambridge Brands facility in Cambridge, MA.
• Sugar Daddy and Caramel Apple Pops Caramel lollipop line including Sugar Daddy (caramel on a stick) and Caramel Apple Pops (apple flavor with caramel), produced at the Charms Company facility in Covington, TN.
• Sugar Babies Caramel and chocolate confection acquired by Tootsie Roll in 1993.
• Cry Baby, Razzles, Nik-L-Nip and Wack-o-Wax Sour gum and wax candy line including Cry Baby Sour Gum and Chews, Razzles fruit-flavored gumdrops, Nik-L-Nip wax bottles with flavored liquid, and Wack-o-Wax wax candy; produced at the Concord Confections division in Vaughan, Ontario.
• The Berry Ones Fruit-flavored Tootsie Roll variant expanding the fruit-flavored product line, launched at select Walmart stores as part of a broader brand portfolio expansion.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Schafer Condon CarterminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 June 2026Chicago-based advertising agency that developed the refreshed Mr. Owl TV campaign for Tootsie Roll Industries featuring bright animation and chameleon sidekick to promote candy flavors across digital channels

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Hershey Company: Largest U.S. chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery company (NYSE: HSY), with a portfolio including Hershey's, Reese's, Kit Kat (U.S.), Twizzlers, and SkinnyPop. Directly comparable as a publicly-traded U.S. candy manufacturer serving the same retail channels.
• Mars, Inc. Privately-held global confectionery giant whose brands (M&M's, Snickers, Twix, Skittles, Starburst, Dove) directly compete with Tootsie Roll across the same mass-market candy aisles and channels.
• Mondelez International: Global snacks and confectionery company (NASDAQ: MDLZ) owning Cadbury, Oreo, Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, and Trident. Comparable as a multi-brand packaged confectionery manufacturer with overlapping retail customers.
• Haribo: Global gummy/candy brand (Gold-Bears, etc.) with strong U.S. presence. Comparable to Tootsie Roll's gummy and non-chocolate portfolio, particularly DOTS and Cry Baby, as a global confectionery brand competing in the same candy aisles.

Direct peers

• Ferrara Candy Company: U.S. non-chocolate candy specialist (privately held by Ferrero) producing brands like Brach's, Lemonheads, Red Hots, Trolli, Black Forest, and Nerds. Closely comparable as a mid-sized multi-brand U.S. confectionery manufacturer with overlapping product mix.
• Jelly Belly Candy Company: Privately-held family-run U.S. jelly bean and specialty candy maker with similar multi-brand heritage and broad retail distribution. Comparable to Tootsie Roll as a mid-sized, family-influenced, multi-brand confectionery producer.
• Spangler Candy Company: Privately-held U.S. candy maker producing Dum Dums, Saf-T-Pops, and Circus Peanuts. Closely comparable as a mid-sized, family-run, multi-brand U.S. lollipop and hard candy manufacturer serving the same retail and vending channels.
• Russell Stover Chocolates: Largest U.S. producer of boxed chocolates (owned by Lindt & Sprüngli). Comparable as a multi-brand chocolate and sugar confectionery manufacturer serving mass-market and seasonal (Easter, Valentine's) demand.
• PEZ Candy Inc. Family-owned U.S./Swiss candy and confectionery dispenser manufacturer. Comparable as a multi-generational, family-influenced branded candy maker with similar impulse-purchase retail presence.
• Necco (New England Confectionery Company): Historic U.S. sugar confectionery producer (NECCO Wafers, Sweethearts, Clark Bar). Comparable as a legacy multi-brand U.S. sugar candy manufacturer with overlapping traditional candy category presence.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TootsieRoll
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/tootsierollind
• Facebookfacebook.com/tootsieroll
• Instagraminstagram.com/tootsieroll
• TikToktiktok.com/@tootsieroll
• Pinterestpinterest.com/TootsieRollTRI/_saved

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tootsie Roll