Milton Snavely Hershey Quotes

101 Milton Snavely Hershey Quotes

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To have a quality product at a fair price.
Milton Snavely Hershey

I often hear people say that ‘children are not what they used to be.’ But I have the conviction that they are just what they always have been. Perhaps it is the parents who have changed.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[As a child having to move when the family farm was foreclosed on] I betcha when I grow up and get to be rich I’ll take care of you little boys better than my father does me! You betcha I will!
Milton Snavely Hershey

[On his Aunt Mattie Snavely giving him as a child two pennies. ‘If you save your pennies they will grow into dollars.’] Will they grow into a money-tree? [‘Money is like a tree, my boy, it takes roots and grows; but it must be tended to.’]
Milton Snavely Hershey

[As a child apprentice choosing to become a confectioner over his father’s choice of being a journalist] I’m going to like being a confectioner, I know I shall!
Milton Snavely Hershey

[To his mother on setting out to build his first business accompanied by his shrewd Aunt Mattie] I’ll make a go of things, never fear.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[To his Uncle Abraham Snavely on December 8, 1880] Aunt Mattie wants you and Uncle Ben to send $600 to me by Monday, otherwise I will not be able to pay my bills. She says she will stand good for it. It is important that we receive this money by Monday. Mother says you are not to fail us.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[On April 28, 1881] I am in urgent need of $500. Aunt Mattie says that you and Uncle Ben are to send it to us at once, otherwise she will have to come up to see you, for it is important that we get the money. We are going to move into a larger place which will give us more elbow room so that we can increase our output of candies. Aunt Mattie is in favor of moving, for we also make a big saving in rent. She says I should tell you that she is going to put an additional $500 in the business.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[On his father suddenly appearing out of the blue with a mechanical display cabinet to potentially use with his caramels but not seeming practical on the expected maintenance issues and high entry cost] The risk is too great.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[To his father on him coming back again to borrow more money from him after causing him unnecessary business problems] No more of my money will slip through your fingers, I’ll tell you that!
Milton Snavely Hershey



[In 1883 on his uncles believing it would be better to sell out and keeping needed equipment he may need to start again.] In other words, they think I’m a failure and a bad investment. Is that it?
Milton Snavely Hershey

[At the age of 26 on his caramel business] Let’s go ahead and sell the business. It will be better than being sold out.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[On closing his business for the third time. Being bankrupt but not altogether lacking in assets, paying creditors forty cents on the dollar] I’ll be back some day and pay the remaining sixty cents.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[On succeeding the forth time he tried at the age of 35] What success I’ve had I owe to you Aunt Mattie.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[On paying the remaining sixty cents on the dollar owed to his creditors] Maybe they weren’t surprised when I handled them the money. They never expected I’d make good my promise to return and wipe the slate clean of my indebtedness. I feel much better since that matter has been taken care of.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[On his Aunt Mattie passing away] Many a time I’ve wondered what would have become of me if she hadn’t given me a helping hand.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[In 1901] I will sell the caramel business, for I believe it has reached its peak.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[In 1901] Some day I may want to go into the chocolate business, for I believe it has great possibilities.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[In 1901 to his solicitor Mr John E Snyder who said that the board of directors of the American Caramel Company would pay $1,000,000 for his caramel company after being told they had offered $250,000 which Milton considered a fancy (high) price] If you get $1,000,000 for the business it will be the biggest surprise of my life. But I’d advise you to get a certified check for the full amount in case they should change their minds. [They did pay $1,000,000 with a caramel non-compete agreement. Milton then moved into Chocolate.]
Milton Snavely Hershey

[On building his factory in Derry Township] Back in 1898 I bought the old homestead with the idea that some day I might retire and become a gentleman farmer. But one Sunday afternoon while Mrs Hershey and I were up here looking about, she remarked, ‘Why don’t you build your factory here in this lovely valley?’ Her suggestion echoed something in my own mind and I decided to go ahead.
Milton Snavely Hershey



I’m not going into the chocolate business to add to my wealth. I have all the money I need now and what I want to do is to find a practical use for the money entrusted to me. I want to find a way to put it to work so that it will benefit others.
Milton Snavely Hershey

If I can’t make a go of the chocolate business, I can always turn the factory into a large dairy barn.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[To the officials of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad] I need a station near the factory and you’ll soon find that it will pay in increased freight. But I’ll do more than that. I’ll give you the land if you’ll build the station. That’s meeting you more than halfway.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[When he wanted a bank in his town of ‘Hershey’ on being told ‘There isn’t enough business around here to keep the banks going that are established in the adjoining towns without establishing another one’] Somehow or other I have a notion that I am going to be a pretty fair country banker.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[On founding his town of Hershey] It pleases me to see so many of you men take an interest in things that pertain to the good of the town. This town will grow if its citizens cooperate in all of its activities. It is not [a] given for everybody to stand up at the plate and slam out a home-run… but we may be able to lay down a bunt that will bring in the winning run. That’s just as effective even though it may not be as spectacular. It requires the cooperation of every player on a team to win a game, all of which is application to other things, too. All of us should strive to do our part in building this town, to cooperate with each other, and by so doing make the work easier for each one of us. If we do that, life will have a bigger and better meaning for us all.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[On Harry Lebkicher worrying that a window may be broken due to spring athletics taking place in a field next to Cocoa House] Well Harry, if that happens I’ll let you buy a new one to replace it.
Milton Snavely Hershey

I am a firm believer in printers’ ink, although I didn’t get along very well with the trade, or the trade didn’t get along very well with me, whichever way you choose to look at it.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[To his relative Joseph Richard Snavely] You do the right thing by me, Joe, and I’ll do the right thing by you.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[On his plans for the town of Hershey in 1903] That’s only a beginning, but you’ve go to have faith.
Milton Snavely Hershey

If ever there were two different types of men, it was my father and Harry [Lebkicher]. My father, full of his impractical ideas, and Harry, as practical and thorough-going as the day is long. How they ever got along on the same farm is more than I can say.
Milton Snavely Hershey



[On his father’s hopes of living to be one hundred years old] His hopes, as you know, never materialized. He was seventy-five years old when he died.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[On cows providing milk to the chocolate making process] Pure air and sunshine are as much importance to a cow as good food and water.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[On choosing Holstein cows over Guernsey or Jersey ones] The Holstein produces milk that is low in fat content. The fat globules are small and the milk creams slowly. It is the kind of milk that’s best adapted for the manufacture of chocolate.
Milton Snavely Hershey

Some day I’m going to build a hotel up here… I won’t be ready to build the hotel for some time yet, but it’s something to look forward to.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[To Joseph Snavely] Here’s a book written by Elbert Hubbard. After you’ve read it I want you to tell me what you think of it.
Milton Snavely Hershey

I want you to visit East Aurora and look things over. You should be able to bring back some ideas that we could utilize to good advantage.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[On being told by Harry Lebkicher on his purchase of a merry-go-round ‘A merry-go-round should be placed at the entrance of a park, not in that out-of-the-way place where you want to put it. Why, it’s a mile to that place, so it is! You can’t expect mothers to lug their children such a distance just to give them a ride on a merry-go-round!’] They won’t have to walk, Harry, for I’m thinking of building a miniature railway to the lower end of the park. Some day I’m going to improve that out-of-the-way place, as you choose to call it.
Milton Snavely Hershey

In many industries, there are a lot of men who spend a great deal of time polishing machinery and door knobs. We’re going to do that too. But what I want to do more than anything else is to give my employees an opportunity of advancing themselves in this world, and to give them a helping hand.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[On wanting Joseph Snavely to start a newspaper for Hershey] I want you to get busy and start printing a weekly newspaper. The town is growing, and a newspaper will help keep us on our toes. I don’t want the town to stand still. I also want to get started on an cooperative store, and when you start printing the newspaper you will be able to tell the people about its advantages.
Milton Snavely Hershey

[‘Just leave it to me, Mr Hershey , and when I get the printing office built, it’s bound to please you, or else I’ll swear off drinking.’ – Jim Putt] Regardless of how you make out with the building, climbing on the water wagon would be a wise move.
Milton Snavely Hershey



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