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<SEC-DOCUMENT>0000914760-10-000107.txt : 20101220
<SEC-HEADER>0000914760-10-000107.hdr.sgml : 20101220
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20100915133325
<PRIVATE-TO-PUBLIC>
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0000914760-10-000107
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20100915

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			TOOTSIE ROLL INDUSTRIES INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000098677
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	SUGAR & CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTS [2060]
		IRS NUMBER:				221318955
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			VA
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		7401 S CICERO AVE
		CITY:			CHICAGO
		STATE:			IL
		ZIP:			60629
		BUSINESS PHONE:		7738383400

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		7401 S CICERO AVE
		CITY:			CHICAGO
		STATE:			IL
		ZIP:			60629

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	SWEETS CO OF AMERICA INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19660921
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>CORRESP
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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">7401 South Cicero Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60629</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">September 15, 2010</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">VIA EDGAR</font></font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Anne Nguyen Parker</font></div>

<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Branch Chief</font></div>

<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Division of Corporation Finance</font></div>

<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div>

<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">100 F St., N.E.</font></div>

<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Washington, D.C. 20549-0405</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Re:&#160;&#160;&#160;Comment Letter Dated</font></div>

<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;September 3, 2010 Regarding</font></div>

<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc.</font></div>

<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2009</font></div>

<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Filed March 1, 2010</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;File No. 1-01361</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Dear Ms. Parker:</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">In connection with your review of the captioned filings of Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. (the &#8220;Company&#8221;), we respectfully submit the following responses to the comments in your letter of September 3, 2010.&#160;&#160;We have used the same number system and captions as reflected in your letter, and have included our response following each comment.</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Should you have any further comments or questions or need additional information, please correspond with the undersigned at our Chicago corporate address.&#160;&#160;Please also feel free to contact me at our Chicago headquarter office (773-838-3418).</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">1.&#160;&#160;Please confirm in writing that you will comply with the following comments in all future filings.&#160;&#160;Provide us also with an example of the disclosure you intend to use.</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Response:</font> The Company will comply with the following comment in all future filings, including adding or revising disclosure substantially as indicated below as and when applicable.</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify">&#160;</div>

<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">2.&#160;&#160;We note your response to comment 6 from our letter dated July 9, 2010 and reissue such comment to the extent that you should provide a discussion of how competitive your compensation is as compared to your benchmark peer group.&#160;&#160;Your statement in your response that you are unable to represent how competitive your compensation is as compared to your peer group appears to conflict with your disclosure on page 10 that &#8220;[e]ach element of compensation as well as total compensation is quantified and reviewed to determine the Company&#8217;s competitiveness as compared to the market.&#8221;</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Response:&#160;&#160;</font>As noted in our prior response the requested disclosure can only be made for periods when the Company actually conducts a review of how competitive its executive compensation is as compared to a peer group.&#160;&#160;The Company&#8217;s independent compensation committee consultant last performed a peer group review in 2008.&#160;&#160;The Company does anticipate that the independent compensation consultant will conduct a similar review later this year.&#160;&#160;Assuming that this review is performed and completed in 2010 and we provide a discussion of how competitive the total compensation of executive officers is as compared to its peer group, the Company will provide disclosure substantially as follows (with the additional disclosure underlined and in bo
ld) in response to this comment.</font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Competitiveness Assessment </font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;The Board periodically reviews compensation levels for similarly situated executives of a group of industry peers. With the assistance of an independent compensation consultant, statistical analysis is used to adjust all market compensation data to reflect the current annual revenues and market capitalization of the Company given the variation in size of the companies from which compensation data is collected. Each element of compensation as well as total compensation is quantified and reviewed to determine the Company's competitiveness compared to the market. <font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">In 2010, we engaged our independent compensation consultant to conduct such a review, which indicated that the total compensation (base salary, annual bonu
s and long-term incentives) for our executive officers was ___% [above / below] the market median for similarly situated executives at peer group companies after adjusting for market capitalization.&#160;&#160;</font>The Company does not target any specific level of compensation with respect to the market such as the 50% percentile of peer companies. In determining appropriate individual compensation levels for the named executive officers, the Board considers this competitive market compensation data, as well as the individual's experience, internal equity among the executive officers, as well as individual and Company performance. Compensation levels for all named executive officers, except the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Operating Officer, are approved by the Board (and in the case of the Management Incentive Plan, the Compensation Committee) based on the recommendation of, and performance evaluation by, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Operating Officer. In the case of the Chief Execut
ive Officer and the Chief Operating Officer, the independent members of the Board review and approve their compensation levels after conducting an evaluation of their prior-year performance. </font></div>

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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">In response to the Commission&#8217;s comments, the Company hereby acknowledges that:</font></div>

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<div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and</font></div>
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<div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">the Company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any other person under the federal securities laws of the United States.</font></div>
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<div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Thank you for your comments.&#160;&#160;We trust that these responses are sufficient for your purposes.&#160;&#160;However, if you have any further questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.</font></div>

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<div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman">Yours truly,</font></div>
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<div align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">Ellen R. Gordon, President and COO</font></div>
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