They say it's one way to know you're in Nampa, Idaho: when you get hit with that odor of burnt Reese's peanut butter cups, or maybe you think it smells like musty steamed broccoli. But those who work there say the sugar beet factory in Nampa smells like money.
It's a smell that's been around since September 24, 1906, when the Western Idaho Sugar Company processed its very first sugar beet.
In 1907, the company merged with two others to become the Utah-Idaho Sugar Company. Shortly after, disputes with the railroad union to transport the crop, along with an infestation of whiteflies, forced the plant to close in 1910.
In 1915, the Amalgamated Sugar Company opened its factory in Twin Falls, followed by a factory in Paul in 1917. It wasn't until 1942 that Amalgamated Sugar opened it's current Nampa location on Karcher Road, bringing sugar beets back to the city.
In 2017, they celebrated the 75th anniversary of its opening.