Woody Associates, Inc. was founded in 1954 as George D. Woody * Associates as a consulting engineering firm solving production issues in the confectionery and textile industries. It was during these early years that inspiration came to George D. Woody to design, develop and produce the now famous Woody Stringer.
The original Woody Stringer, first produced in 1956, was capable of making zigzag decorations in thick or thin patterns on candies and baked goods. Over the years, various features were added beginning with the single loop attachment providing the capability for producing circles, ovals and slanted zigzags. In 1974, the double loop attachment was developed, giving the decorator the capacity to produce more complex designs such as the figure eight (8), tree bark and cross-hatching. A nozzle heater was added to ensure even warmth across the nozzle tube.
At present, the Woody Stringer can be custom designed to produce zigzags, single loop, double loop and cross-hatching designs plus random designs to mimic hand decorated products.
As many companies do, Woody Associates, Inc. started at the home of George D. Woody in Atlanta, Georgia. It was not until 1974 that the demand for the Woody Stringer was such that a specific facility was needed. It was at this time that a small machine shop was purchased in York, PA to produce the Woody Stringer.
Over the years additions have been made to the shop to include a reception area and a design office. As the company grew, additional adjoining warehousing space was leased.
An exciting move for Woody Associates, Inc. took place in November 2005 when they moved into a new facility. The new facility is located just five blocks from the original shop, which maintained their convenient location within the City of York. The new manufacturing plant and offices permit Woody Associates, Inc. to continue their development of new types of automatic decorating machines while ensuring consistent service to their customers.
While Woody Associates could be located anywhere, York, Pennsylvania is the natural choice for a company with its foundation in the confectionery industry. Pennsylvania’s rich history in chocolate and confectionery manufacture make it a prime location for an associated business. York’s position as a manufacturing town with its highway and railroad transportation and convenient proximity to major cities such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington DC and New York, make it an ideal location for an international confectionery machinery business.
Woody Associates has always done their best to provide top notch equipment to their customers. In an acknowledgement of their efforts to increase export business, Woody Associates, Inc. was pleased to be the recipient of the President’s E Award in 1981. The E Award is given to those companies that have shown a significant increase in exports over a three year period.