Encore: The sugar-filled history and legacy of Necco, the beloved local candy company

<p>Necco, aka the New England Confectionery Company, was the oldest candy company in the United States at the time of its closure in 2018. <br> <br> Based here in Revere, Massachusetts, the company played a historic role in the world of American candy. Necco manufactured national favorites like Clark Bars, Candy Buttons, Sky Bars and Sweethearts. But their bestseller was without a doubt the Necco wafers, dating back to 1847. <br> <br> Interestingly, Necco marketed its wafers in a number of ways. Darlene Lacey, an author and curator of the Candy Wrapper Museum, told <em>Under the Radar</em> that the company wasn't really sure how to position the candy.<br> <br> "In the early times, they focused on them being the perfect treat for hostesses at afternoon teas. They had them described as a 'fairy feast' in a garden of delights. Very delicate, very romantic," she described. "... And then as time went on, they started to skew them a little bit more towards kids, and then later into the nostalgia market."<br> <br> The company was sold a handful of years ago to the Ohio-based Spangler Candy Company. But how did this shift impact the candy manufacturing world? <em>Under the Radar</em> talked with Lacey about everything from favorite sweet treats to the future of the candy production industry.</p>