Necco Sold To Competitor At Bankruptcy Auction

REVERE, MA – Your favorite Valentine's Day treat is sticking around a little longer. The New England Confectionary Co., otherwise known as Necco, the maker of those sweet, sweet candy hearts, was sold to a competitor at a bankruptcy auction Wednesday.

Spangler Candy Co., an Ohio-based company known for Dum Dums lollipops, Jelly Bellies and Smarties, had the winning bid at $18.83 million, according to the Associated Press.

Harry Murphy, Necco's court-appointed bankruptcy trustee, told the AP Spangler is primarily interested in Necco's "sugar line" – wafers, candy dots and of course, the candy hearts. It's unclear what will happen to Necco's other candies, like the Sky Bar, Clark Bar and Mary Jane chews, according to Murphy.

Necco, which claims to be the oldest continuously operating candy company in the country, struggled to keep up with rising rents. It announced in March it would shut down its headquarters and lay off about 400 workers if it couldn't find a buyer.

On top of that, Food and Drug Administration inspectors found rodent pellets "too numerous to count" and gnaw holes at the plant during their inspections in November and December of last year, MassLive reported. The FDA detailed the unsanitary conditions in a May 16 letter to Necco CEO Michael McGee.

Necco will continue to operate out of its Revere headquarters.

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