An iconic hard-candy staple mounted on a plastic band is rolling off production lines again and onto the fingers of kids and adults around the world.
"It belongs here. It doesn't belong anywhere else, and it's made in the U.S.A.,” said John Ellis, the first person to cook a Ring Pop, back in 1976.
Bazooka Brands officially opened its new Ring Pop factory Thursday in Moosic with a ceremony. The company’s Scranton factory closed Aug. 29 because of structural issues. In just six months, Bazooka found a larger location just a town over.
CEO Tony Jacobs said getting a new factory up and running could have taken years. But a team of employees, many of whom attended the ribbon cutting Thursday, found a new location in just weeks.
The new factory has 120,000 square feet — an upgrade from the Scranton factory’s 30,000. Its more than 100 employees can produce 400 million Ring Pops annually. In Scranton, they made 280 million a year.
Jacobs said they turned lemons into lemonade.
With that, he toasted the new factory with lemonade in a plastic champagne glass.
Jacobs said 98% of employees returned to work in Moosic.
"We have been here for over 40 years and beyond that. It is an area that is incredibly supportive of our business ... and that is critical to us," he said.
After the ribbon-cutting, guests put on white lab coats, hair and beard nets, and covered their shoes with white booties to get an up close look at making Ring Pops.
An intricate network of piping was moved from Scranton. Sugar, corn syrup, flavorings and color flows into diamond-shaped molds. The candy concoction oozes out hot, cools about seven minutes in a tunnel to harden, then emerges upside down. The candy stone is then attached to a plastic band with a variety of colors and wrapped in plastic packaging.
Apax Partners acquired Bazooka Candy Brands in October 2023. The company's candy includes Bazooka Gum, Push Pops, Juicy Drop Pops and Baby Bottle Pops.
For now, Bazooka only makes Ring Pops in Moosic. Jacobs, whose favorite flavor is strawberry, said the new factory has room to expand.
Moosic Mayor Robert Bennie called Bazooka a "good neighbor."
The company co-sponsors the Move with Moosic 5K run, sponsored a Little League team and donated to the borough’s Santa Parade and Easter Egg Hunt.
Bennie said having Bazooka Brands in Moosic could draw other manufacturers.
“We're very business friendly. You could ask the Bazooka folks, we do what we need to do to make sure that they get the help that they need," he said.
Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti attended the ribbon cutting. She said the city is grateful headquarters remains in Scranton.
The company could have built anywhere but chose to stay in Northeast Pennsylvania, she said.
“So we're deeply grateful for that," Cognetti said.
Jacobs said demand for Ring Pops has grown in the last 10 years. Once sold individually, Ring Pops now sell in three-packs and bags. Demand rises around big candy holidays, like Valentine’s Day, Easter and Halloween.
"It's iconic. People love it, and yeah, it continues to grow here and around the world," he said.
Topps Chewing Gum originally made Ring Pops in Scranton.
Ellis started at the company when he was 19 years old. On Thursday, he took photos with other employees he’s worked with for more than 50 years under a new Ring Pops mural on the side of the Moosic building.
“We busted our butts trying to get it to work right," he said of the early days,
The new factory is a dream come true, he said.
"It's just the first time anybody ever had something like this for the company. This is, this is wonderful," Ellis said.
