Robert Hendershot, Candy's founder and president
until his death in 2006, invented Candy's
first product, the Phase Variator, in the
1960s.
At the time, Bob was director of manufacturing
and engineering at Illinois Baking on the
north side of Chicago; he eventually left
Illinois Baking to begin Candy Mfg., which
consumed the second floor of the Evanston
home where he lived with his wife, Judy. When
the new business quickly outgrew its quarters,
Candy moved to its new offices at 626 Grove
Street in Evanston.
Bob continued to develop timing and positioning
devices to improve basic factory production
processes, freeing-up workers to move to more
challenging and creative tasks. He had over
two dozen patents to his credit for designs
of new products and improvements to old processes.
When Bob wasn't consumed with the work
of building his business, he painted the
shop walls clashing neon colors, sold sugar
cane at the Renaissance Faire, founded a
pedicab and rickshaw business, and carted
all his employees in a rented RV to the
freezing north woods of Wisconsin for a
winter vacation. His Grove Street office
in the 1970s was remarkable for its eyebrow-raising
paintings, stunning antique furniture, a
rifle propped above an ancient safe, sculpture,
an animal whip draped threateningly over
the shop door, and a quote painted on the
wall above the drafting table, adapted from
Bob's motto:
Invention,
my dear friends, is ninety-three percent
perspiration, six percent electricity,
four percent evaporation, and two percent
butterscotch ripple.
-
Willy Wonka
The version on the wall - shortened either
due to misinformation or ink shortage -
read:
Invention,
my friend, is 97% perspiration, 2% evaporation,
and 1% butterscotch ripple.
-
Willy Wonka
This was, of course, Bob's preferred adaptation
of Thomas Edison's famous quote:
Genius is one percent inspiration,
and ninety-nine percent perspiration.
Bob's Business Principles
Hire talented people and provide a great
work environment with tools and resources
allowing creativity and the ability to meet
challenges
