Hershey Food Sale *is* relavent to HERSHEYPARK
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I understand that the topic has been brought up and closed a few times here, but I'd like to go on record as saying that any sale of the chocolate factory could have *significant* implications on the park. Even the Washington Post, in an article published on Monday (or was it Tuesday...) said as much. If (heaven forbid) the factory is closed, that is going to change the entire make up of the town. People are going to move to find jobs and who knows what type of people the park will find to work there if the adults move away with their teens.
Now, I'm all for containing all the info in a thread or two, but I dont want anyone to *really* be under the impression that the sale of HERSHEY FOODS will have *no* effect of HERSHEYPARK. The two entities are symbiotically linked!
lata,
jeremy
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"To get into this head of mine, would take a monkey-wrench, and a lot of wine" Res How I Do
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All I need is 4.5 million bucks and a half a mile long sliver of land and maybe someone could build me my very own Shivering Timbers. ;)
No crap. Of course the park will suffer some repercussions. Like... are they going to continue to sell Hershey chocolate bars and other food products at the park? It would seem silly not to, but I'm sure Nestle isn't going to provide them as cheaply as Hershey Foods did.
As for people moving away... well, perhaps. But what good is a factory if you have no workers? The school system is excellent and the medical system is one of, if not the, best in the state. There are a lot of other positive attributes that Hershey, PA possesses. Most of the seasonal workers come from the Hershey area, but I don't think that it's realistic to think that the park will have THAT much more of a staffing problem than it does already. [We've been short on ride-ops since I started working there ~3 years ago].
I just can't think of any MAJOR implecations that this will have on the park. I'd be willing to be that the atmosphere will likely remain the same for years to come.
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Visits to Knoebels in 2002: 10
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All I need is 4.5 million bucks and a half a mile long sliver of land and maybe someone could build me my very own Shivering Timbers. ;)
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105 coasters, and the Cyclone still tops 'em all.
I agree with Jeremy. If Hershey Foods is sold and subsequently closed, it could have a huge impact on the area. Whether it will impact the park or not is hard to say. However, the sale isn't a done deal yet. Who knows what will happen.
http://www.abc27.com/showstory.hrb?f=n&s=54899&f1=loc
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All I need is 4.5 million bucks and a half a mile long sliver of land and maybe someone could build me my very own Shivering Timbers. ;)
I don't really think too much will change with the theme park. In addition to what's already there, maybe we will see some Nestly (for instance) products for sale in the park. Maybe we will see more marketing of Nestles candy. I think whoever buy Hershey Foods will keep the name of the product the same. It is a very reconizable name.
My opinion is that some things will change, but probibly not for the worst. If I am wrong, it's no biggie. It's not like the park is going to close down or anything.
The worst thing that could happen is that the theme park gets sold to Six Flags =^p
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-KoRn is the Millennium Force of ROCK-
*** This post was edited by dexter on 9/4/2002. ***
For some reason, I'd be less intimidated having my "hackey" team suit up against the Gummi Bears, though....
But as for the business end of the deal, remember how quickly the winds can change....no sale is definite until the "last i dotted and last t crossed"...so glad we got there...(again, kinda)....:):):)
I don't know much about the business of Hershey. But look into it, Hershey is more than the chocolate. I'm hoping that if Nestle does aquire it, they'll leave it all alone, and just "own" it, not change it. It should be fairly profitable. Maybe I'm way off here though.
Eric
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"Air time is not a crime. Take a click, you're a prick" - Kris Allen (Jul 2002, HW)
Whoever would buy Hershey foods will do it for two reasons. 1.The production facilities in town. They would not buy the company and shut the doors on production. The buyer would not just make Hershey vanish into nothing. Which brings up number 2. The name brand recognition is too great to completely get rid of it. Some of the slower moving items might be eliminated, but Reese PB Cups, Kisses, York Peppermint Patties, Kit Kats, and Hershey Bars will stay around.
With all that in mind, yes Hershey Foods will most likely be sold to the highest bidder, and no it will not destroy the town or resort. Probably the most adverse effect on the park is the fact that you might not be attacked by a giant walking Peanut Butter Cup the next time you visit.
BTW, Hershey Foods does own Cadbury along with Carefree and Icebreakers gums, Jolly Rancher, Whoppers, and a bunch more too numerous to list.
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Does Hershey's make ice cream? If so, how come I never see it at Hersheypark? All I ever see is Ben & Jerry's and the Dippin' Dots. If Hershey does not make ice cream, just disregard the second part of the question.
Hershey does make ice cream but it is a different company and is not related to Hershey Foods.
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I started out with nothing and still have most of it left.
*** This post was edited by millrace on 9/5/2002. ***
geneticfreak said:
"Whoever would buy Hershey foods will do it for two reasons. 1.The production facilities in town. They would not buy the company and shut the doors on production. The buyer would not just make Hershey vanish into nothing. "
But that is where I think you are mistaken. I think it is highly likely that the production facillities *would* be shuttered, or at least greatly scaled back. Job for job, it is *known* in manufacturing that employing Americans is more costly than just about any other nationality (thanks to our wonderful labor unions). If they could take all the equipment move it to, say mexico, and hire local workers there for cheaper, why would they NOT move? That would have *drastic* effects on the entire area, including HERSHEYPARK.
But like loriu said, nothing is final and all this is speculation now...
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"To get into this head of mine, would take a monkey-wrench, and a lot of wine" Res How I Do
A couple of things in random order.
1) The name of the town (and other venues, entities, etc): The town, like the chocolate company (which is now Hershey Foods), was named after Milton Hershey. The town was not named for the chocolate and the chocolate was not named for the town. They were both named for the man. The other venues, entities etc (the park, the hockey team, the hotel, etc) were also named after either a) Milton Hershey or b) after the town. The sale of the company will not change the names of anything except (possibly) Hershey Foods. IF a sale does go through, it is a good chance that, because of brand recognition, Hershey Chocolate (et al) will still be around... where it will be manufactured, who knows. (NOTE: I typed this AFTER I read the statement that the earlier statement "was a joke"... however, there are still those who believe this).
2) Implications at the park: Latest word is that Hersheypark will continue to have a licensing agreement with whomever buys Hershey Foods to still have its characters, etc. Will the cost change? Probably. Will it continue indefinately? Who knows.
3) Hershey as a "resort" location: Unlike some other parks with their dorms and workers traveling from Poland (as disgruntled as they may be in Agawam), Hershey, I believe, mainly draws from a local work force. It is amazing how many people you see working at Hersheypark Arena during hockey games doing double duty at the park in the summers. Should the plant close or relocate, and should the polulation begin to move, there will probably be a shift in the work force. However, keep in mind that the "local community" is not just Hershey. It is Harrisburg, Lebanon, Palmyra, Elizabethtown, Lancaster, and even York (a retired man in the bolwing league my wife and I are in was working as a ride op this past summer at Hersheypark).
4) Biggest impact would probably be on Chocolate World. It is owned outright by Hershey Foods. Hershey Entertainment and Resorts (which owns the park, the hockey team, the hotel, etc) only manages the Chocolate Town Cafe. HOWEVER... IF Hershey Foods is sold and the factory closes/relocates, will that mean that Chocolate World will go as well? Who knows. Keep in mind... Hershey is the biggest name in candy in the US. While the factory may not be there, what better place to advertise. Its called "brand recognition." (if I remember correctly from a college marketing course years ago). Hershey has taken over companies in the past and kept the same names. H.B.Reese candy company was bought by Hershey in the 1960's but their Reeses Peanut Butter Cups remain. York Peppermint Patties were manufactured in York PA until the 1980's or 1990's, but were then bought by Hershey... and are now manufactured in Hershey, but still under the York Peppermint Patty name.
5) Cadbury Bunny etc: Not sure how it presently is... but a few years ago Hershey sold off its chain of Friendly's Restaurants to Cadbury, who in turn sold off some of its candy business to Hershey. Not sure what the status is today though. Companies are bought and sold about as quickly as you can change the channel on your TV.
6) Impact on the Local work Force if the Factory closes: Devastating. The majority of the locals in Hershey do work for Hershey, in some way or another. Should the factory close, it will be bad news for several thousand locals. There will then be long ripple effects... people out of work and relocating will mean a drop in business for others and who knows what effect that will have.
7) Slower moving items disappearing, good moving brands staying around: Hershey manufactures and markets Kit-Kat under license from Nestle. It has been stated (or at least speculated) that IF Hershey Foods is sold to a company other than Nestle, Nestle may revoke that license for Kit-Kat. Because of this, it has been suggested that another company may not want Hershey if Kit-Kat is not part of the package (one of their biggest sellers). I believe (but am not certain) that Rollo is the same way. It has also been stated that even if Nestle does acquire Hershey, Kit Kat may still have its days numbered under the Hershey banner... Nestle supposedly was talking about taking it back under its own name (not sure about this).
8) Latest word on the sale: As of the other day, Nestle was not sure if it would be able to buy Hershey (providing it would decide to) because of Anti Trust laws (it would own too big of a chunk of the US chocolate market). Other news reports has Wrigley's (the gum people) interested and looking at some sort of joint operating agreement. Another report also has Pepsi people touring the plant. In the court room, the Alumni Assoc (what ever it calls itself) of the Hershey School has filed a suit to be the legal representatives of the current students in order to try and block a sale. Yesterday, a ruling was handed down temporarly blocking any sale with stipulations placed on any sale that the impact on the community would have to be weighed in the event of any sale. Hershey Trust has stated that it will (naturally) appeal. (of course, how this impact can be judged... your guess is as good as mine). Many, including former higher-ups for Hershey Foods, Hershey Entertianment and Resorts, and Trust members along with most locals, and PA State Atorney General (and Republican Governor Candidate) Mike Fisher oppose the sale.
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Kind of hard to take a post as objective if a park or coaster name is part of the "user name"
*** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 9/5/2002. ***
*** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 9/5/2002. ***
well, I agree with jeremy again, only not entirely....the likelihood of production moving elsewhere isn't at all remote....but I'd rather live in a country where "labor" has SOME say as to pay, working conditions, etc.....
the "benefits" to Americans from NAFTA (and other free-trade agreeements) are longer-term, and anyone who deluded themselves into thinking that there wouldn't be short-term "growing pains" had blinders on...
edit: SLFAKE, gotta admit that "cornering the market" on chocolate would be way more profitable than Dave Letteman and WorldWide pants....I mean, we can always WEAR something else, but chocolate is a "non-negotiable commodity" for many, many people....
*** This post was edited by rollergator on 9/5/2002. ***
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