MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Pearson’s Candy Plans Permanent St. Paul Plant Closure, Affecting About 80 Workers

ST. PAUL, MN (July 31, 2026). Pearson’s Candy Company plans to permanently close its longtime St. Paul manufacturing facility in September, ending local production at a plant associated with some of Minnesota’s best-known candy brands.

Approximately 80 employees are expected to lose their jobs when the closure takes effect Sept. 28, according to a notice filed with the State of Minnesota and reported Thursday by WCCO Radio.

The company attributed the decision to a lack of the financial sustainability needed to continue operating the facility.

The planned closure affects Pearson’s plant on West Seventh Street, where the company has operated for decades.

Pearson’s history in Minnesota reaches back nearly 120 years.

P. Edward Pearson and his brothers established the business in Minneapolis in 1909 as a confectionery distribution company. The company later moved into candy manufacturing and introduced the Nut Goodie in 1912.

Its Salted Nut Roll followed in 1933 and became one of the company’s most recognizable products.

Pearson’s moved from Minneapolis to St. Paul in 1950 and established its West Seventh Street operation in 1959.

The company has changed ownership several times. Minneapolis-based private-equity firm Spell Capital Partners acquired Pearson’s in 2018 and sold it to California-based Annabelle Candy Company in 2022.

The closure notice applies to the St. Paul production facility. It does not necessarily mean that Pearson’s brands or products will disappear from stores. Decisions about future production and distribution will rest with the company’s owner.

The shutdown nevertheless represents a significant loss for St. Paul’s manufacturing community and for employees whose work sustained a locally rooted company through decades of changes in the confectionery industry.

A permanent closure also carries consequences beyond the workers directly employed at the plant. Manufacturing facilities support suppliers, transportation providers, maintenance contractors and nearby businesses that depend on employee activity.

The state filing gives workers and public agencies advance notice of the planned closure. Such notices are intended to provide time for workforce agencies and labor representatives to coordinate employment assistance, retraining and other services.

Pearson’s announcement comes at a time when manufacturers face changing consumer preferences, rising operating costs and increasing pressure to consolidate production.

Further information will be needed to determine where Pearson’s products will be manufactured after the St. Paul plant closes and what assistance will be available to affected employees.

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