The family name appears to have been mis-spelt, as Frederick was the son of George Needley, a paint-factory employee, who died from typhoid in September 1872, age 37.

At age eighteen, he became a bookkeeper to Edward Buckton, who had a small manufacturing confectionery business near Paragon Station in Hull.

Frederick Needler soon moved into wholesaling, occupying various premises to the north of Paragon Station until he bought 9 and 11 Spring Street in 1898, which is when company records started to be produced.

There were ten female and twenty-three male employees producing over two hundred different products, chiefly boiled sweets and toffees.

In marketing terms, growth was greatly helped by the switch from green to clear glass jars, thereby improving the appearance.

The move was accompanied by a change in name to Needlers Ltd. An increasing demand for sweets led to a decline in the wholesale operation, which ceased by 1912.

Increased volume necessitated a fleet of delivery vans working from Hull, and from rail depots in London, Manchester, Nottingham and Grimsby.

In 1950, rail distribution was abandoned in favour of road following the decision by British Railways to move into lump shunting (which resulted in large-scale breakages of chocolates).

This coincided with Frederick Needler's deterioration in health with Parkinson's disease, from which he died on 30 September 1932, age 67, leaving £147,956.

Profit sharing was introduced as early as 1911, there were good social and sports facilities and a mixed-voiced choir, Needlers Music Society, was established in 1925.

[3] In 1996, Needler's was sold by its owner, the Norwegian company Nidar, to Blue Bird Confectionery, a subsidiary of Singapore-based Jack Chia-MPH.

[3] In 2001 Jack Chia-MPH entered into negotiations to sell the subsidiary, and the sale of Needler Blue Bird to Ashbury Confectionery was completed in 2002.