Spangler gears up for 2012 candy cane season with manufacturing investment

BRYAN, Ohio — Spangler Candy Co. is gearing up to expand its candy cane manufacturing capacity.

The company, which is known for its various seasonal candies and Dum Dums lollipops, said it would invest about $400,000 to upgrade and install two candy cane production lines in its Bryan, Ohio-based plant. The upgrade is slated for completion in 2012, ready for part of next year's candy cane season. With this investment, the new lines could create 20 to 30 jobs.

Spangler's president and CEO Kirk Vashaw said that the expansion marks the company's desire to increase capacity at the company's Bryan facility, versus its manufacturing facility in Mexico, where the company produced its commodity candy canes.

Spangler noted it currently is in the process of it 84th and largest expansion of its Bryan plant and already is in the midst of a major expansion of its Dum Dum Pops capacity.