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American Chicle Company
American Chicle Company
from Wikipedia
Beeman's Pepsin Gum from the American Chicle Company

The American Chicle Company was a chewing gum trust founded by Thomas Adams, Jr., with Edward E. Beeman and Jonathan Primle.[1]

Thomas Adams

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Adams Pepsin Tutti Frutti Gum
An advertisement of Adams chewing gum

Thomas Adams (May 4, 1818 – February 7, 1905) was a 19th-century American scientist and inventor who is regarded as a founder of the chewing gum industry. Adams conceived the idea while working as a secretary to former Mexican leader Antonio López de Santa Anna, who chewed a natural gum called chicle. Adams first tried to formulate the gum into a rubber which was suitable for making tires. When that didn't work, he turned the chicle into a chewing gum called New York Chewing Gum.[2][3][4][5] Adams created his first batch of flavorless chicle balls, named Adams New York Gum No. 1, in 1859, and they sold out quickly.[6][7]

In 1870, Adams created the first flavored gum, black licorice, which he named Black Jack. He sold it from a warehouse on Front Street.[4] In 1871, Adams patented the first chewing gum making machine.[8] In 1888, his company opened a factory on Sands Street. His Tutti-Frutti gum was also one of the first to be sold in vending machines.[9] Adams retired from the business in 1898 and his son Thomas Jr. took over.[2][10]

Company history

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American Chicle Company

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Two women operating gum-wrapping machine at the American Chicle Company Plant in Brooklyn, New York, 1923

The American Chicle Company was incorporated in Trenton, New Jersey, on June 2, 1899.[1] Its market capitalization was $9,000,000 with one third issued as preferred stock and 6% with cumulative dividends. The business was a merger of the major chewing gum concerns at the time: Adams Sons & Company in Brooklyn; Beeman Chemical Company; W. J. White & Sons in Cleveland; J. P. Primley in Chicago; Kis-Me Gum Company Louisville, Kentucky; and S. T. Britten & Co. in Toronto.[11][12] The corporation operated factories and gum forests in Yucatan.[13] William J. White served as the company's first president and Thomas Adams Jr. Was the first chairman.[14][9]

In 1914, the company acquired Chiclets from the Fleer Chewing Gum Company of Philadelphia.[9] It also acquired Dentyne in 1916.[15] In 1919, American Chicle bought land at Degnon Terminal in Long Island City to build a new factory.[16] On January 8, 1920, Don Ricardo Moreira, of San Salvador of the Coldwell & Moreira firm, registered American Chicle Co. trademarks in El Salvador.[17] In 1923, the company moved into its new 550,000 square foot, $2 million factory and headquarters.[4] The building could house over 500 employees and produced five million packages of chewing gum per day.[9] For decades, the building's Dentyne and Chiclet sign became a landmark for travelers entering Long Island.[18] By 1935, American Chicle had 15% of the North American gum market, behind the William Wrigley Jr. Company and Beech-Nut Packing Company.[9]

American Chicle utilized Dancer Fitzgerald Sample in 1950 to promote its products via radio, newspapers, and television.[19]

American Chicle Group

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American Chicle was acquired by the pharmaceutical company Warner-Lambert in 1962, with combined sales that year being estimated at around $300,000,000.[20] During the 1970s, American Chicle discontinued Black Jack and Clove in order to focus resources to the sugarless Trident and liquid-filled Freshen-Up. Beemans was removed from the US market and remained available only in Canada.[21] In 1976, an explosion at the American Chicle Company factory killed six workers and injured more than 40. It remained closed for five weeks following the incident.[22][23] In 1976, Bubblicious was released to compete against Bubble Yum.[24]

The company's Long Island City factory was shut down at the end of 1981.[18] Gum-making operations were moved to facilities in Anaheim, California and Rockford, Illinois.[23] The Anaheim factory was closed in 1985 during a period of consolidation for the company.[25] In the spring of 1986, American Chicle introduced Sticklets, a stick gum version of Chiclets. Later that year, the company brought Black Jack, Beemans, and Clove gum back into production.[21] In 1988, Warner-Lambert acquired Junior Mints, Charleston Chew, Sugar Daddy, among other brands, from RJR Nabisco and integrated them into the American Chicle Group.[26]

Adams

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The American Chicle Company was renamed Adams in 1997.[27] Warner-Lambert was acquired by Pfizer in 2000 for $90.2 million.[28] After a two-year ban on selling the company's gum assets, Cadbury Schweppes purchased Adams in 2002 for $4.9 billion.[29][30][31] Kraft Foods purchased Cadbury in 2010 for $19.6 billion.[32] When Kraft split into two companies in 2012, the Adams gum unit remained under Mondelez International.[33] Chiclets chewing gum was discontinued in 2016, but returned to production 2019.[34]

By 2018, Mondelez sold off the Black Jack, Beemans, and Clove brands.[35] It then sold the remainder of its United States, Canada, and European gum assets to Perfetti Van Melle in 2023.[36][37][38]

Products

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See also

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
The American Chicle Company was a pioneering American manufacturer of , incorporated in 1899 in New York through the merger of six companies specializing in chicle-based products. Founded by key figures including Thomas Adams Jr., who had earlier developed modern from chicle sap in the 1870s and 1880s, the company quickly became one of the world's leading producers of gum and related confections. The company's early growth was driven by innovations in flavoring and processing chicle, a natural gum base sourced from sapodilla trees in Mexico's Yucatan region, where American Chicle owned forest lands to secure supply. It operated factories across the United States, including major facilities in Brooklyn and Long Island City, New York; Cleveland, Ohio (from the late 1880s until 1921); Chicago; and Louisville, Kentucky, as well as in Toronto, Canada. Iconic products included Chiclets (sugar-coated gum squares, introduced after acquiring the Sen-Sen Chiclet Company in 1910), Dentyne, Yucatan, Red Robin, and pepsin-flavored gums, alongside expansions into breath mints, antacids, and cough drops. By the mid-20th century, American Chicle had solidified its position in the confectionery industry, with a $2 million plant in enhancing production capacity after . In 1962, it was acquired by Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical Company, becoming a focused on oral care and gum products (renamed Adams in 1997). Warner-Lambert's acquisition by Inc. in 2000 was followed by the sale of the Adams division to in 2002 (now part of Mondelēz International as of 2025), which continues to produce the brands.

Origins and Founding

Thomas Adams and Chicle Development

Thomas Adams Sr. (1818–1905), a New York inventor and , encountered General , the exiled Mexican leader, in [Staten Island](/page/Staten Island) around 1866. Santa Anna, who had brought a supply of —a natural latex from the sapodilla tree native to —hoped to fund his political return by transforming it into a rubber substitute. Adams, intrigued by the potential, collaborated with Santa Anna and received a large shipment of to experiment with processes similar to those used for . Over the next few years, Adams conducted extensive trials in the late , attempting to mold into tires, boots, and other rubber products, but these efforts failed despite significant investment, reportedly around $30,000. Observing Santa Anna casually chewing pieces of the as a gum-like substance—a practice rooted in Mesoamerican traditions—Adams pivoted his focus. He began experimenting with as a masticatory base, blending it with flavorings to create a palatable chewing product, marking a shift from industrial applications to consumer goods. In 1869, Adams developed and commercially launched Adams New York Gum No. 1, the first chicle-based sold in the United States, initially distributed in small batches through New York drugstores at a each. This plain-flavored gum laid the foundation for modern by leveraging chicle's elastic, non-sticky properties for prolonged mastication. Building on this, in 1870 Adams introduced Black Jack, a licorice-flavored variant packaged in distinctive black wrappers, which quickly gained popularity and helped establish as a viable market, with sales expanding rapidly in the early . To scale production, Adams secured U.S. Patent No. 111,798 in 1871 for a gum-making machine that automated the mixing, rolling, and cutting of into uniform sticks, revolutionizing the manufacturing process from handmade to mechanized output. This innovation enabled consistent quality and higher volumes, supporting the growing demand for flavored gums. Throughout these developments, Adams involved his family, particularly his son Thomas Adams Jr., who assisted in laboratory work, business operations, and marketing efforts, contributing to the enterprise's early stability. These advancements by the Adams family culminated in the formal establishment of the American Chicle Company in 1899.

Company Formation in 1899

The American Chicle Company was incorporated on June 2, 1899, in , as a major consolidation in the . The company was established with a of $9 million, reflecting the significant assets and goodwill of the merging entities, one-third of which was issued as . This formation was orchestrated by businessman Charles R. Flint, known as the "Father of Trusts," who specialized in creating holding companies to achieve during the late 19th-century merger wave. Key figures in the company's founding included Thomas Adams Jr., who served as the first chairman and built on his father's earlier chicle-based innovations; Edward E. Beeman, founder of the Beeman Chemical Company; and Jonathan Primle (also spelled Primley), who contributed to the organizational efforts. Additional contributions came from Wm. J. White, proprietor of the world's largest business at the time through W.J. White & Sons, and Geo. H. Worthington, a associate involved in the merger negotiations. The incorporation resulted from the merger of six prominent predecessor companies, including Adams Sons & Company based in , New York; the Beeman Chemical Company in , Ohio; and W.J. White & Sons, also in . This combination created a dominant entity controlling the majority of the U.S. and Canadian markets, operating as a monopoly-like trust that centralized production and distribution. Initial headquarters were established in , with early operations spanning multiple facilities across , , , Louisville, and to leverage the merged companies' existing . The trust structure allowed for efficient management of subsidiaries, such as the Chicle Development Company, while focusing on scaling -based gum production nationwide.

Growth and Operations

Early Mergers and Acquisitions

Following its formation in 1899, the American Chicle Company pursued strategic acquisitions to consolidate the fragmented and diversify its product offerings. In 1914, the company acquired the assets of the Company, which included the Chewing Gum Company and its innovative brand—a pioneering sugar-coated chewing gum introduced around 1906 that encased a base in a shell for enhanced flavor retention and portability. This purchase not only eliminated a key competitor but also integrated Chiclets' unique format, which quickly became a and helped standardize coated gum production across the industry. The expansion continued in 1916 with the acquisition of the Dentyne brand, a cinnamon-flavored gum originally developed in 1899 by New York pharmacist Franklin V. Canning as a dental hygiene aid combining "dental" and "hygiene." Previously produced by the Sterling Gum Company, 's purchase broadened American Chicle's portfolio into medicated and flavored segments, appealing to health-conscious consumers and strengthening domestic distribution networks. These moves exemplified the company's strategy of absorbing smaller regional producers, such as local gum makers in the Northeast, to capture market share and streamline supply chains amid growing competition from firms like Wrigley. By the early 1920s, these consolidations propelled American Chicle toward market dominance, securing a significant portion of the U.S. chewing gum sector and facilitating export growth. Chewing gum exports from the United States surged 27 percent in 1919 alone, reaching new international markets in Europe and Latin America as post-World War I demand rose, with American Chicle leveraging its expanded brands for overseas penetration. This international push underscored the company's role in globalizing the industry, though it trailed leaders like Wrigley in overall volume. By the mid-1920s, such efforts contributed to the overall U.S. gum export value climbing from under $200,000 pre-war to over $1.5 million annually, enhancing American Chicle's profitability and influence.

Manufacturing Innovations and Facilities

In March 1919, the American Chicle Company announced plans to construct a $2 million plant in , New York, as part of its expansion to support growing demand for . The facility, a six-story flat-slab structure spanning 13 acres of floor space on a 200-by-600-foot site, was completed by 1923, when the company relocated its operations and headquarters from Manhattan's 44th Street to 30-30 Thomson Avenue. This modern plant enabled capabilities, processing vast quantities of into gum bases through automated mixing, rolling, and cutting processes that significantly increased output efficiency. During the and , the company secured several patents related to production, including advancements in vending machines and that facilitated distribution and consumer access. For instance, early 20th-century innovations under the American Chicle umbrella built on predecessor Adams' designs, such as automated dispensers installed on elevated train platforms to sell gum directly to commuters, marking one of the first widespread uses of vending technology for consumer goods. patents focused on protective wrappers for gum slabs and sticks, improving and portability while incorporating labeled strips for branding. These developments, alongside the acquisition of brands like in 1914, drove scaling of production to meet national demand. On November 21, 1976, a powerful chemical tore through the factory, killing six workers and injuring more than 40 others, many with severe burns that overwhelmed local hospitals. The blast, which originated in a mixing area handling volatile ingredients, prompted immediate investigations by authorities, including charges against the parent company that highlighted deficiencies in safety protocols. Although the company was ultimately cleared of criminal liability in 1978, the incident led to broader industry reforms in handling flammable materials and emergency response procedures at gum manufacturing sites. The facility operated until its closure at the end of 1981, when the parent company shifted production to other domestic plants to cut costs and boost efficiency amid economic pressures. The shutdown resulted in the of approximately 1,600 employees and marked the end of an era for the site's role in American gum manufacturing.

Corporate Evolution

Warner-Lambert Acquisition

In 1962, the Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical Company acquired the American Chicle Company through a merger involving a , integrating it into Warner-Lambert's growing portfolio of consumer products despite criticism over the high price paid relative to American Chicle's of under $10 million that year. This move diversified Warner-Lambert, a primarily pharmaceutical firm, into the and oral care sectors, leveraging American Chicle's established brands to complement its health-related offerings. Following the acquisition, American Chicle underwent significant operational restructuring, including the relocation of its headquarters staff from , New York, to Warner-Lambert's facilities in , in 1967 to centralize administrative functions. This consolidation facilitated synergies between American Chicle's confectionery expertise and Warner-Lambert's pharmaceutical divisions, particularly in focused on oral health products that aligned with emerging dental care trends. For instance, the integration supported expanded R&D efforts on sugarless gums, building on the 1960 launch of as the first nationally distributed sugarless by American Chicle, which used to address growing consumer concerns about and sugar intake. By the late 1990s, Warner-Lambert reorganized its subsidiaries to streamline branding, renaming the American Chicle Group as the in 1997 to honor the company's founding roots while emphasizing its core products like Adams and . This change marked a period of stabilized integration, with the division benefiting from Warner-Lambert's broader resources to enhance and market reach in the consumer health space.

Post-1962 Ownership Changes

Following the 1962 acquisition of the American Chicle Company by Warner-Lambert, the company's brands underwent several major ownership transitions beginning in the late . In 2000, acquired Warner-Lambert for $90.2 billion, integrating the American Chicle brands—such as Adams gum—into its Pfizer Consumer Healthcare division, where they remained during a two-year regulatory hold period before any divestitures. In 2002, sold the Adams brands, including legacy American Chicle products, to for $4.2 billion, establishing Adams as a leading global entity focused on gum and mints. 's gum operations, encompassing these brands, transferred to in 2010 as part of a $19.6 billion acquisition that created one of the world's largest snack companies. In 2012, Kraft spun off its North American and global snacks business—including the Adams gum portfolio—into the newly formed , separating it from Kraft's grocery operations to streamline focus on high-growth categories. Mondelez further reshaped its portfolio in 2023 by divesting its developed-market gum business, which included legacy American Chicle brands like , , and , to for $1.35 billion, allowing Mondelez to prioritize chocolate and biscuit segments. As of 2025, the legacy American Chicle brands operate under with no independent company structure remaining, integrated into its global confectionery lineup alongside brands like and .

Products and Brands

Core Chewing Gum Lines

The core chewing gum lines of the American Chicle Company before 1962 centered on a select group of flavored products that leveraged chicle-based formulations to appeal to diverse consumer preferences, from traditional licorice tastes to innovative coated varieties. These products were instrumental in establishing the company's dominance in the U.S. market during the early , with introductions spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Black Jack gum, the company's flagship product, featured a distinctive licorice flavor derived from extract blended with base, giving it a dark color and robust chew that set it apart as the first flavored in the United States. Introduced in 1884 by Thomas Adams, it quickly gained popularity for its longevity and was sold in small sticks wrapped in foil, maintaining steady sales through the early decades of the . Yucatan gum, a peppermint-flavored variety, was introduced in 1879 by William J. and became part of the 1899 merger forming American Chicle. It was named after the chicle-sourcing region and appealed to consumers seeking a refreshing chew. Red Robin gum, another early brand from White & Son, offered a fruit-flavored option and was integrated into American Chicle's portfolio through the 1899 formation, contributing to the company's diverse lineup. Beeman's Gum emerged as a pepsin-infused variety designed to aid , incorporating the enzyme from hog stomachs into a mild-flavored formula to promote oral health and stomach comfort. Marketed following the 1899 merger with Beeman Chemical Company, it became particularly popular in the early 1900s among consumers seeking functional chewing experiences beyond mere flavor. Chiclets represented a breakthrough in gum presentation, consisting of small, rectangular chicle pieces coated in a hard peppermint-flavored shell made from sugar and , which prevented sticking and extended . Acquired by American Chicle through the purchase of the Sen-Sen Chiclet Company in 1911 and introduced to mass markets shortly thereafter, it was the first widely available coated , revolutionizing portable consumption. Dentyne gum utilized a spicy cinnamon oil infusion in its chicle base, positioning it as a breath-freshening alternative with a warming sensation that masked odors effectively. Acquired in 1916, it was marketed from its introduction as a dental hygiene aid, appealing to users concerned with oral freshness in social settings. Sen-Sen, while primarily a breath mint rather than traditional gum, consisted of tiny licorice-anise wafers pressed from a compressed sugar and flavor base, acquired through the 1914 purchase of the Sen-Sen Company as part of broader product diversification. Though integrated into American Chicle's portfolio for breath freshening, it remained available until its discontinuation in 2013. These core lines benefited from manufacturing advancements like Adams' 1871 gum-mixing machine, which enabled consistent processing and flavor integration across products.

Brand Expansions and Innovations

Following the 1962 acquisition by Warner-Lambert, the American Chicle division pioneered several product innovations aimed at addressing consumer demands for health benefits, novelty, and convenience in . Trident sugarless gum was introduced in 1960 as the first nationally distributed and patented variety of its kind, formulated with non-cariogenic sweeteners to help prevent cavities by reducing plaque acids and promoting oral health. Later versions incorporated , a natural that further inhibits bacterial growth and demineralization, solidifying its role in dental care. In 1975, Freshen-Up debuted with a distinctive liquid gel center that burst upon chewing, delivering intense moisture and prolonged breath freshness in flavors like and , which differentiated it from traditional solid gums. Bubblicious entered the market in 1977 as a premium soft , optimized for producing exceptionally large bubbles while offering vibrant fruit flavors such as and , rapidly capturing a significant share of the youth-oriented bubble gum segment. The 1980s saw the rollout of Sticklets, thin rectangular stick gums designed for easy portability and discreet consumption, packaged in slim nine-stick formats to appeal to consumers seeking quick, mess-free options during daily activities. After in 2000 and the subsequent 2002 sale of the —including American Chicle brands—to (forming Cadbury Adams), post-millennium efforts emphasized health-oriented advancements, such as expanded sugar-free variants of Clorets breath-freshening gum with intensified mint profiles and Actizol for odor neutralization.

References

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