At least 4,000 children who otherwise would not have access to dental care will receive it under a program launched by Cadbury Adams USA LLC at a recent press conference in Chicago.

Trident Smiles Across America, which Parsippany, N.J.-based Cadbury is supporting with a $176,000 contribution, is joining with Chicago-based Oral Health America (OHA), a 50-year-old not-for-profit public benefit corporation that develops, implements and facilitates educational and service programs to promote and protect oral health.

Cadbury Adams’ Brand Manager Lauren Zucchi-Alfano presented the contribution to OHA President and CEO Robert Klaus. It will fund services and programs for Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul schoolchildren over the next year.

Smiles Across America is an oral disease prevention and health promotion initiative that OHA embarked on three years ago. It links corporate, government and community support to advance school-based and school-linked oral health programs for families without access to routine dental care. The program will provide underserved and uninsured children with oral exams and disease prevention services such as protective dental sealants.

A survey of 1,165 adults with children in their households, commissioned by Trident and Cadbury Adams, revealed that 19.7 million such families—or one in four—do not have dental coverage. International Communications Research conducted the survey.

Untreated oral disease can cause pain and impose far-ranging health consequences on a young person’s development, including difficulty eating, sleeping and concentrating in school, according to OHA, which estimates that more than 51 million school hours are lost each year due to dental illness.

“Kids in grade school go to bed every night with dental pain that no adult would tolerate,” said Klaus. “Access to dental as well as medical care,” he added, is a matter of “social justice.”

Albany, Ga.-based candy cane maker Bobs Candies has been acquired by Farley’s & Sathers Candy Co. Inc., Round Lake, Minn., a leading marketer of general line candy. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

An 80-year-old company, Bobs had closed briefly due to financial problems in 2002, but soon re-opened and quickly made a comeback. In addition to candy canes, Bobs is known for its Sweet Stripes candy brand, which was included within the acquisition.

The company will reportedly continue to operate its plants in Albany and Reynosa, Mexico.

According to Dennis Nemeth, president of Farley’s and Sathers, the Bobs’ acquisition was part of a three-year plan to acquire companies with traditional, nostalgic brands.  

According to news reports, Bobs president, Greg McCormack, and his sisters and business partners, Julie Roth and Mary Helen Dykes, opted to sell the company in the face of increased competition from imported candies and pressures resulting from retail consolidation.

Movie Gallery Inc., Dothan, Ala., has completed its acquisition of Hollywood Entertainment Corp. The transaction is valued at $1.25 billion and makes Movie Gallery the nation’s second-largest home video retailer.

Hollywood is now a subsidiary of Movie Gallery but will continue to operate under the Hollywood brand name and will remain headquartered in Wilsonville, Ore.

“The acquisition increases our geographic presence and will greatly improve our distribution capabilities, making us a stronger competitor, well positioned for continued profitable growth,” said Joe Malugen, chairman, president and CEO of Movie Gallery.

Skokie, Ill.-based Georgia Nut Co. (GNC), has announced the acquisition of The Chocolate House, Milwaukee, Wis.

The Chocolate House manufactures upscale enrobed chocolate products, including caramels, English toffee, mint meltaways, crème eggs and fudge. In addition to The Chocolate House, its brands include Positively Pecan, Absolutely Almond, Fudgie Bear and Fudgie Rabbit. The company has been in business for more than 57 years.

The Chocolate House acquisition will allow Georgia Nut Co. to compete more effectively with larger companies that are more capable of introducing a steady flow of new products, according to Rick Drehobl, Georgia Nut CEO.

“One of our strategies to offset this challenge is to acquire existing brands that have strong growth potential,” said Drehobl in a statement released at the time of the announcement. “The Chocolate House fits that criterion,” he said. “In addition to its products and manufacturing capabilities, The Chocolate House’s retail store supports GNC’s retail and consumer direct strategy.”

This is Georgia Nut Co.’s second acquisition within the past year. In September 2004, the company acquired Sophie Mae Candy Co., maker of Sophie Mae brand peanut and cashew brittle and honey roasted peanuts, as well as a number of nostalgia candy brands.

Michele Buck, formerly senior vice president and general manager of Kraft Confections, has joined Hershey Foods as senior vice president and president of its recently formed U.S. Snacks Group. In this capacity, she will serve as an officer of the corporation and will report to Richard H. Lenny, chairman, president and CEO.

At Kraft, Buck had responsibility for the Kraft U.S. confections business including its LifeSavers, Altoids, CremeSavers and Toblerone brands. Her previous positions with Kraft include vice president, marketing - confections, and vice president, marketing - Planters snack nuts. She has also held marketing positions with Frito-Lay and Kraft General Foods.

A native of central Pennsylvania and a graduate of Pennsylvania’s Shippensburg University, Buck and her family are relocating to the Hershey area.

Hershey announced the creation of the new U.S. Snacks business group, along with a U.S. confectionery business group, earlier this year.  

The Hershey Co. announced last month that stockholders had approved the company’s name change and an increase in the number of authorized shares.

Of the name change, Richard H. Lenny, Hershey chairman, president and CEO, said, “We look forward to opening a new chapter in our history as The Hershey Co. This new name reflects our company’s exceptional heritage and is how our consumers and customers best know us. It also conveys Hershey’s promising future as we continue to focus on building momentum in the confectionery and broader snacks markets.”

Lenny also noted that the authorized shares increase will provide the company with “the flexibility and tools necessary to further support our value-enhancing strategy and build upon the marketplace strength we’ve achieved over the past several years.”

Brad Maslan, a marketing executive with Ferrero USA Inc. since 1991, has joined Guylian USA Inc. as vice president of sales and marketing. In this newly created position he will be responsible for strategic planning and day-to-day sales and marketing operations for the Belgian chocolate maker.

Frank Klimovitz has joined Butterfields Candy Co., Nashville, N.C., as executive sales director. He most recently served as bakery director for Kencraft Candy, Alpine, Utah.

Spangler Candy Co., Bryan, Ohio, has announced two appointments. Christina Farrar has joined the company as western region sales director after spending three years with Newell Rubbermaid in sales and communications. Rob Piecuch has assumed the role of sales director-convenience stores, moving from his previous position as a brand manager with the company.

Heidi Klum made a guest appearance recently at New York City’s Duane Reade, a pharmacy chain based in the Big Apple. Klum has entered the candy business with her 100 percent fat-free line of My Favorite Candies, a yogurt-based gummi line produced by Katjes and distributed by Hillside Candy Co. in the United States. All of the candies were enjoyed by Klum as a child growing up in Germany.

For the launch, a customized, life-size sculpture of Klum was created entirely of candy. Couture designer Nicolas Putvinski worked on the sculpture for more than 60 hours.