Now it joins a growing list of local brands - including Mrs. Paul's seafood, After Six tuxedos and Frank's Beverages - that have moved, or are about to move, out of the city. Many of those plants also were based in Northeast Philadelphia.
"This is a blow. It's unbelievable," said Blanche Stanback of Yardley, who started hand-dipping Whitman's chocolate 39 years ago.
"Whitman's has been a landmark in Philadelphia since long before I was born," Stanback said. "Everyone knows the Sampler. We were so proud of that."
Local 6 of the Bakery, Confectionery and Tobacco Workers union, which represents nearly 600 union workers at the plant, said it was preparing a lawsuit to block the sale. The union said it would argue that Stover's
purchase of the company violated antitrust laws because Whitman's and Stover are the only national manufacturers of boxed candy collections.
"We will fight this sale any way that we legally can," said Joe Rauscher, the president of Local 6.
He said that the average Whitman's worker had 25 years on the job and that many had worked there 40 years.
"That's a whole life," he said. "This is devastating."
Rauscher said the Whitman's workers made an average of $11 an hour, plus benefits.
"There are no jobs out there now to replace that," he said.
Pet Inc. said yesterday that it sold Whitman's on Friday to a new company, Whitman's Candies Inc., which was created as an affiliate of Russell Stover, based in Kansas City, Mo.
Mark Bluhm, a lawyer for Whitman's Candies, said the new owner planned to make Whitman's products at Russell Stover plants.
Pet, based in St. Louis, said it sold the Whitman's name and equipment and would sell off other assets for a total of $35 million.
Last year, Pet said Whitman's annual sales were about $85 million.
