In 1896, Leo Hirschfeld, an Austrian Jewish immigrant to the United States, began work at a small candy shop located in New York City owned by the Stern & Saalberg firm.

During World War II, Tootsie Rolls became a standard part of American soldiers' field rations, due to the sustainability of the candy under a variety of environmental conditions.

Its principal supplier of paper boxes, Joseph Rubin & Sons of Brooklyn — concerned about the possible loss of an important customer — became interested in acquiring control.

The company attributed this decrease to elevated candy prices, driven by rising costs of cocoa and chocolate, which have negatively impacted its profit margins.

As part of this strategy, its subsidiary, Charms, is investing $97.7 million to expand the manufacturing facility responsible for producing Blow Pops, a popular lollipop brand.

The company also has a factory in Mexico City where it produces some flavors of Tootsie Pops and other candy products for the Mexican market as well as for export to the U.S. and Canada.