Perfetti van Melle

06/03/2026

Happy 40th Birthday, Airheads!

This morning, we proudly celebrated 40 sweet years of Airheads Candy right here in Erlanger! City of Erlanger Mayor Jessica Fette officially declared today, June 3, Airheads Day, honoring the brand’s hometown roots.

Our dedicated Erlanger factory team produces close to 6 million bars each day, and this milestone is a testament to their dedication and pride.

We were also honored with an award from Be NKY Growth Partnership and a special recognition from Governor Andy Beshear

To give back, we donated $40,000 to four local nonprofits supporting families in our community - Be Concerned, Ronald McDonald House Southwest Ohio, Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank and UpSpring.

Thank you to our incredible team and community for making Airheads a fan favorite for 40 years. Here’s to many more!

05/28/2026

This month, we're celebrating an incredible milestone for one of our employees!

Dave Reed, Sales Operations Manager, marked 30 years with Perfetti Van Melle on May 1. Starting as an Environmental, Safety & Health Coordinator in 1996, Dave has grown through multiple roles across the business, helping shape everything from production and quality to retail operations.

He’s championed continuous improvement, built strong teams, and helped embed a culture where safety, curiosity, and accountability drive success.

Dave credits his journey to the people around him and the opportunities to learn, lead, and grow. His advice to others is simple: lead with integrity, stay curious, build relationships, and own your role.

Thank you, Dave, for three decades of leadership, impact, and dedication!

05/19/2026

Big win for our Bubblicious brand at the 2026 Sweets & Snacks Expo this week! The new Bubblicious Gummy Gum was recognized with a Most Innovative New Product Award (MINPA), honoring the creativity behind its first-of-its-kind dual-texture chewing experience. Coming to retailers across the country in early 2027.

05/15/2026

Our Erlanger Emerging Professionals Group recently spent a half day volunteering with the Freestore Foodbank, making a meaningful impact across the community.

Teams supported both the distribution center by packing Senior Boxes for older adults, and the Bea Taylor Market, helping stock shelves and assist shoppers.

The Freestore Foodbank provides vital support across the Tri‑State area, delivering 47.2 million meals annually to families, children, and seniors in need.

04/22/2026

In honor of Earth Day today, members our Northern Kentucky team proudly represented PVM at the Greater Cincinnati Earth Coalition Earth Day Festival last weekend. We were happy to participate as part of our ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability and community engagement.

At the festival, our team shared sustainability‑focused giveaways and treats with the community, including 250 reusable PopSockets, 4,000 packets of wildflower and daisy seeds, and thousands of Airheads Candy Sour Mini Bars and Chupa Chups lollipops.

04/20/2026

We enjoyed hosting our friends at the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce last week for a Lunchtime Leader chat with our CFO, Shannon Bobbert!

04/20/2026

40 years. One iconic candy.

We’re excited to share that Airheads Candy is featured in People as the brand celebrates its 40th birthday! The article highlights one of our longest-tenured team members, who’s been here since the very beginning.

Read it here: https://people.com/as-airheads-turns-40-longtime-employee-remembers-the-candy-s-early-days-exclusive-11950725

From being USA employee number 21 to helping grow Airheads into a fan favorite, Paul's journey is a reminder that the heart of our brand has always been our people.

What started as a bold, fruity idea turned into something generations of fans know and love, and we couldn’t have done it without the passion behind the scenes.

04/10/2026

We've had a great week welcoming Rebecca, our new Americas business unit president, to Perfetti Van Melle!

Erlanger-based Perfetti Van Melle has announced Rebecca Dunphey as the company’s new president of the Americas business unit. She assumed the role April 6. Dunphey succeeds Sylvia Buxton, who led the rapid growth of the North America business for more than seven years. Under Buxton’s leadership,...

03/27/2026

We are egg-cited to sponsor the Egg Hunt at Washington Park in Downtown Cincinnati this Saturday and Sunday and hope you'll join us! This free event has lots of fun activities plus great Perfetti van Melle candy! See below for more details and a link to RSVP.

03/26/2026

Airheads Candy has advanced to the Second Round of the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers Coolest Thing Made in Kentucky and we still need your votes!

This round runs through Sunday, March 29 and narrows the top 8 products down to the Final 4.

👉 You can vote once per day in each matchup.
👉 Every vote makes a huge difference as we head toward the Semi‑Finals.

📲 Cast your vote here: www.coolestthingky.com

Let’s show Kentucky why Airheads is the coolest thing made in the Commonwealth! 💙❤️