The country’s oldest operating candy factory is now closed for business.
The NECCO plant, located in Revere, Massachusetts, was shuttered Tuesday by its parent company, an undisclosed company which purchased the business from Round Hill Investments LLC, The Washington Post reported.
Round Hill, which is owned by C. Dean Metropolous, bought NECCO in May for $17.3 million, but it had sold the candy business to another company that has not been identified, CNN Money reported.
The mayor of Revere said the town didn't receive any notice that the factory would close, leaving factory workers without jobs, but officials are hopeful that six food service companies are looking to interview the former employees of NECCO, CNN Money reported.
Metropolous & Co. invests in a variety of food and drink companies like Aunt Jemima, Chef Boyardee and Utz. Round Hill also stepped in to so save the iconic Hostess Brands in 2013, preventing products like Twinkies from disappearing, CNN Money reported.
NECCO made Sweethearts, NECCO Wafters, Clark Bars and Mighty Malts. There has not been any word on if production will resume.
Workers were told to pick up their final paychecks Friday, according to reports.
The closure may not be a surprise for some as it had been rumored recently, leading to a rush for the sugar wafers.
"NECCO wafers have been around since before the Civil War -- and plenty of detractors would argue they taste like it, too," the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year.
The company had been in operation since 1847, the Wall Street Journal reported.
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