July 25, 2002: Venerable American chocolatier Hershey Foods Corp. put itself on the auction block. The charitable trust that owned the largest stake in the company best known for its Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Kisses sought to sell out, according to a story first leaked to the Wall Street Journal leading the candy maker to issue a press release listing UBS and Sullivan & Cromwell as its advisors. Although rivals Kraft Foods Inc., Nestle SA and other confectionary and food companies early-on in the process kicked the tires, in the end no one took a bite of the Pennsylvania-based company. —Matthew Wurtzel
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