Quick Update
Hey folks… quick update on stuff. I’m away from home for a couple weeks and unable to update the little graphic counter. But, here’s what I CAN tell you. A couple more people have reported emails from NECCO customer service stating that Candy Raisins will continue to be produced at the plant in New England. I sent a follow up email to Jeff Green, the VP who made contact with us a few months ago, a few weels ago to see if an official decision has been made regarding Candy Raisins. No response as of yet. FYI the signature count on...
Milestones & stuff
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! The support from readers all over the country has been overwhelming. We just passed the 4000 signature mark, and the 35,000 page view mark on the website in the last day or so. Also, we’ve received two more emails forwarded by Candy Raisin fans from the NECCO customer service department stating that production is moving to the Massachusetts plant. We’re cautiously optimistic… Thank you for your correspondence and interest in Necco Candy Raisins. We are going to continue manufacturing this product in our Massachusetts plant. Sincerely, Customer Service NECCO
Response to our “Open Letter”
Two weeks ago we wrote our official SaveTheCandyRaisins.com letter to NECCO asking them to, what else, save the candy raisins. Well, late yesterday we finally received an official response from them. While there is still no word on the fate of candy raisins, we’re on their radar. Dear Mr. Radke, We have been monitoring your website closely and have been impressed with how quickly your signatures are climbing. Let us assure you that we are taking every consideration in rendering a decision regarding the continuation of all of the products that have been manufactured in our Wisconsin facility. It was...
Facebook Group
I’ve been a little busy this week and haven’t been able to devote a ton of time to the site, but keep those signatures & comments rolling in, and keep spreading the word. We read every single one of them. Signer “Chummy” has gone ahead and started a Facebook group. You can access it here, if you have a Facebook account, of course.
Call to Action
You know what today is? It’s a perfect day to go out and buy a bag of Candy Raisins! While we hope that our words will get the attention of the makers of these great treats, we know that our actions can get their attention. In our estimation, the more Candy Raisins we buy, the better the chances are of NECCO continuing production of our favorite treat. So enjoy some of that spring weather and walk down to the corner store to get yourself a few bags of Candy Raisins. Share ‘em with your friends & family. And if you’re...
STCR in today’s Journal Sentinel
03.20.08 – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Laurel Walker talks about us, candy raisins and the public push to keep these things around. According to the article, even the administrative assistant of NECCO’s president has signed our petition.
An Open Letter to NECCO
Now that we’ve generated some web traffic, and more importantly, petition signatures, I figured it was time to contact the company all this is directed at. If/when I receive a response, I’ll be sure to share it here on the site. Dear NECCO Representatives, My name is Gary Radke, and I’m the creator of SaveTheCandyRaisins.com. When news of the Stark plant closure reached my friends and I, we were disappointed, to say the least. I’m certainly not unrealistic… I understand the competitive landscape has changed, and difficult business decisions need to be made. All I can ask is that you...
Link to us
Candy Raisin lover S.V. had a great idea – we should provide code so ya’ll can link to us from your websites, MySpace pages and Facebook accounts. Below is a start. Just plop the code on your page and you’ll end up with the little tile like the one you see below. We’re working on some different sizes and designs. Let us know if there’s anything in particular that will help you spread the word.
News from an industry insider
This tidbit came via our site feedback form: “I am the category manager (buyer) for candy for pick n save and copps stores. I can share two things. 1) All of our stores carry candy raisins, it’s a great seller and 2) in my conversations with NECCO they tell me they DO intend to continue manufacturing them.” This is great potential news. But until we hear something directly from the New England Candy Company, we’ll keep our efforts going. Keep forwarding our site to everyone you know. And check back for the latest developments.
STCR on morning radio
Gene Mueller and John Byman of the WTMJ radio morning show in Milwaukee were gracious enough to have me on their show at 7:39 this morning. Man that’s early. Anyway, the link below has an mp3 of the interview, and Gene also mentions us in his blog, found here. Many thanks to them for helping promote an issue so near and dear to our hearts.
