See s Candies Inc. to increase national profile

The California-based candy maker See s Candies Inc. is utilizing Internet sales and holiday gift shops in a push to raise its national profile. See s is looking to increase candy sales by 1.5 million pounds from 2005 to 2006. With its Brad Kinstler, since January See s first new CEO in 34 years CEO, is cultivating Internet sales and operating more gift shops during the Christmas season. The drive follows a failed effort 30 years ago to put See s Candies black-and-white-tiled stores in malls from St. Louis to Houston. After 85 years in business, the company still has more than three-quarters of its 200 stores in California.
Kinstler, tapped by Warren Buffett to succeed the retired Charles Huggins, wants to sell 1.5 m more pounds of candy this year than in 2005, said Van Doren. At $14.10 a pound, that amounts to an increase of $21.2 m, or about 6% to $356 m, twice as big as last year s increase. Buffett bought See s in 1972 for $25 m.