Tacoma was a chocolate town.
Those aren’t my words. They were offered to me recently by longtime News Tribune columnist and business reporter C.R. Roberts, a guy who usually knows what he’s talking about, particularly when it comes to this neck of the woods.
Tacoma, as Roberts recalled — with an authority that almost made you think he was there — was the original home of the Mars Candy Factory shortly after the turn of the 20th Century. In 1912, Harry Brown and J. C. Haley came along and launched a candy enterprise of their own. The rest is history.
Mars is now headquartered in Virginia. In 2022 Forbes listed it as the fourth-largest privately held company in the United States, with an annual revenue of roughly $45 billion.
Brown and Haley, meanwhile, employs 223 people, right here where it all began.
“(Brown and Haley) started in Tacoma, and they lasted in Tacoma,” Roberts said. “And I would say they made a difference.”
Roberts retired from journalism and the TNT in 2016. Today, he spends much of his time traveling.
With notable regularity, Roberts told me by phone, he’ll find himself at an international airport in some far-flung location, like India, only to be greeted by a familiar and ironic reminder of home.
Almond Roca, Brown and Haley’s premiere product, familiar gold foil and all, which first debuted in 1923.
It’s a candy known around the world, Roberts said, a treat people love and a cherished gift given during holidays far and wide — from T-Town to China. That’s why I called him.
Even if you’re not a fan of Almond Roca, there’s no denying the simple candy’s sizable impact on Tacoma.
This week, Brown and Haley will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Almond Roca, including the unveiling of a new clock sign at the candymaker’s Tacoma headquarters, replacing the beloved neon landmark that’s been a fixture at Brown and Haley’s shop for more than 80 years.
The new neon clock sign, according to Brown and Haley Director of Marketing Kathi Rennaker, is a precise replica of the original, right down to the company hired to make it, the same as eight decades ago.
Honoring the company’s storied local history — particularly on the 100-year anniversary of Almond Roca — was essential, Rennaker said. A no-brainer, she stressed.
That’s the thing, Roberts explained:
Brown and Haley — because of Almond Roca, long the company’s quintessential product and the one “buttercrunch special treat” that’s stood the test of time — is synonymous with this city.
“I think that’s something Tacoma can take pride in. It’s a brand that’s worldwide, and not only is it worldwide, it’s well respected,” Roberts said.
“It’s a treasure, and it’s Tacoma’s.”
According to John Melin, Brown and Haley’s current CEO, there’s good reason for Almond Roca’s staying power.
Growing up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, even the 58-year-old Melin has nostalgic memories of receiving Almond Roca during the holidays, he said.
Melin and his wife moved to the Pacific Northwest 28 years ago, and he’s now been with Brown and Haley for the last two decades. He’s been CEO since March 2022.
Melin told me running a thriving but comparatively small candy company in an international marketplace dominated by corporate behemoths isn’t easy, but the Brown and Haley brand and the long history of Almond Roca make it possible — and meaningful.
“It’s tough. We compete against companies 100 times our size. We’ve had to evolve, a lot,” said Melin, describing roughly $10 million in production facility upgrades Brown and Haley has undertaken in recent years in order to compete with larger candy companies.
“We’re fortunate that we have the demand that people know our product and love our product,” Melin added. “You can find 100 chocolate bars and you can find 25 balls of chocolate with a soft center, but there’s only one Almond Roca.”
“It’s special. It’s distinctive. And there’s an emotional connection that comes with that.”
According to Rennaker, Brown and Haley planned to flip the switch for the first time on the company’s freshly rebuilt 9-foot by 9-foot neon clock sign during a public celebration marking 100 years of Almond Roca on Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 10 a.m.
The event, which took place at the company’s factory at 110 E. 26th St., featured remarks by Anne Haley, the granddaughter of founder J.C. Haley and current chair of Brown and Haley’s board of directors (not to mention longtime News Tribune photographer Peter Haley’s cousin). Festivities also included appearances by local elected leaders.
According to Roberts, the celebration and hoopla are warranted.
Tacoma was a chocolate town — and still is a chocolate town, at least in his mind — because of Brown and Haley.
“Over 100 years, Almond Roca touched the lives of a whole lot of people in Tacoma,” Roberts said.
“Almond Roca is always there.”
