THE BROKERAGE BUSINESS BEGINS: ENTER THE SWEETS COMPANY OF AMERICA In the mid 1920s, a sales manager from an obscure candy company, the Sweets Company of America, came looking for a salesman to represent them in New England. As the story goes, the sales manager from the Sweets Company came to Boston to find a sales rep for the territory. He visited a certain confectionary supply house where, due to the popcorn fiasco, Harold owed some money. The woman at the supply house quickly recommended Harold to the sales manager. She knew Harold was a good salesman and it was a way for him to pay back the money he owed her. Harold went on the road with the sales manager, Sam Rich, for a week and on Saturday morning asked him, “Do I have the job or not?” The sales manager gave him a yes, and with that he began his career in confectionary sales. It was also the beginning of decades T H E E A R LY DAY S • 13