"The little-known secrets behind the men & women who shaped America"

After 2 failed businesses, entrepreneur proves that 3rd time is the charm

By Paul Niemann

[September 18, 2008]  The inventor was born in 1857 on a farm in Derry Church, Pa. Since his middle name was Snavely (I kid you not), we'll just use his first name, which was Milton. Despite being in a very competitive industry, his main product has been a top seller for more than 100 years. Snavely might not be in a class by himself, but it sure doesn't take long to call the roll.

Things weren't always so good for this young entrepreneur, though. Milton's family didn't have much, and after two business failures, he was nearly broke at age 30. Despite this, he went on to create products that have been enjoyed by nearly every man, woman and child in this country.

Milton's first company was a candy company that he started in Philadelphia in 1876. It failed after six years, so he tried again later that same year with another candy company. That business failed, too. Nearing bankruptcy in 1890, he started his third company, a caramel company, which he named the Lancaster Caramel Co., and this one succeeded. It was located in Lancaster, Pa.

After the success of the Lancaster Caramel Co., which he sold for $1 million, he started another company a few years later and named it after himself. The company bears his name to this day. The main product was a candy bar that carries Milton's name.

Milton even has a town named after him. No, it's not Milton, Pa.

His company is located in Hershey, Pa. As in Milton Hershey, the inventor of the Hershey candy bar and founder of the Hershey Foods Corp. There are plenty of successful entrepreneurs who build successful companies around their products, but there aren't too many who build entire company towns around their companies.

Milton Hershey's legacy includes much more than just candy bars, though. Not having much of an education himself, Milton and his wife, Catherine, used their wealth to fund numerous schools in Hershey. Since they were unable to have children, the couple decided to establish a school for orphans. The Milton Hershey School for Orphans, established in 1909, is still in existence today, as is the town of Hershey.

The company is doing pretty well, too. It has more than 13,000 employees worldwide and rings up more than $4 billion in sales every year, exporting to more than 90 countries.

[By PAUL NIEMANN]

Paul Niemann's column is syndicated to more than 70 newspapers. He is the author of the "Invention Mysteries" series of books. He can be reached at [e-mail].

Copyright Paul Niemann 2008

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