How Many Licks Can Tootsie Roll Take? By Jonathan Heller About this article: As Chris Atayan pointed out in early April, shares of candy powerhouse Tootsie Roll should be ripe for acquisition, especially in this type of environment where you would expect to see consolidation. During the years I owned Tootsie Roll, I always believed that Hershey or perhaps Wrigley (which is also based in Chicago) would acquire the company along with its great brands and solid margins. I waited and waited, and finally gave up this past November as margins continued to slide and it became apparent that the seemingly ageless majority owners had no interest in selling the company. CEO and Chairman Melvin (age 89) and President and COO Ellen Gordon (age 77) appear likely to outlive us all and continue running the company into the 22nd century. They have control of Tootsie Roll as owners of 43.7% of the common shares and 81.6 % of the... Or, call us at 1-866-321-TSCM (8726) Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. ET. Outside the U.S. and in Canada, call 1-212-321-5200. More Stories From RealMoney Durable Goods Up Move Down the Tech Food Chain Jobless Claims Still High Bulls' Tenacity Is the Big Question Mark Should You Buy It? Pharmaceutical Product Development Bad News Trumps All Support for Banks Holds, For Now Bummer, Yields Are on the Rise Money on the Line Makes a Big Difference Structured Products: Unsafe at Any Price MORE STORIES FROM REALMONEY

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