FRANKFORT, KY –
$11 million investment will bring additional manufacturing to Boone County
Gov. Matt Bevin today announced candymaker Perfetti Van Melle USA, which produces Airheads, Mentos and other popular brands, will expand its manufacturing plant near Erlanger with an $11 million investment bringing 70 new full-time jobs.
“This announcement of new jobs and investment at Perfetti Van Melle in Boone County is great news for the company, the Northern Kentucky region, and the commonwealth as a whole,” Gov. Bevin said. “Perfetti Van Melle continues to distinguish itself as an important global player and as a key member of Kentucky’s food and beverage industry. We’re pleased to see the company’s continued commitment to the community, and we congratulate them on their ongoing success.”
The expansion includes improvements to the facility, purchase of new equipment, assembly of the new production lines, and the hiring of 70 new employees in 2017, approximately 50 of whom will be Kentucky residents. Perfetti Van Melle sales saw double-digit increases across the past four years. This project will support that and future demand by growing the facility’s manufacturing and packaging capacity by nearly 50 percent.
“We are excited to be expanding our Erlanger production capabilities, and equally excited about adding to the job growth of the Northern Kentucky area,” said Perfetti Van Melle CEO Mehmet Yuksek. “Perfetti Van Melle continues to be a growth leader of the confectionery industry in the non-chocolate, mint, and gum category. While we are certainly pleased about this good news for our company, we’re equally pleased that our success contributes to our region’s growth.”
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Perfetti Van Melle USA is part of Amsterdam-based Perfetti Van Melle, one of the world’s largest manufacturers and marketers of confectionery and chewing gum with nearly $3 billion in sales annually. The company has operations in 38 countries and creates imaginative products and brands sold in more than 150 countries.
The Northern Kentucky facility opened in 1984. The operation, which currently employs about 300 people, is the company’s North American headquarters and remains its sole manufacturing operation in the US.
Sen. John Schickel, of Union, said the project reflects on Kentucky’s ability to provide a strong business environment. “Perfetti Van Melle’s expansion and job creation in Northern Kentucky is yet another testament to our state’s growing economy and business-friendly atmosphere,” he said. “I am pleased to welcome this company’s expansion to our region, and I look forward to their continual success here in Boone County.”
Campbell County Judge-Executive and Tri-ED Board Chair Steve Pendery recalled the company’s success in the area over the past 30+ years. “Perfetti Van Melle has expanded multiple times since their initial location in Northern Kentucky in the 1980s and the company is a testament to the food, flavoring and manufacturing strengths we have here,” Judge Pendery said. “Perfetti is also a strong corporate citizen for our region and we are proud to have their North American headquarters in our community.”
To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in March preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $500,000 through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.
In addition, Perfetti Van Melle can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies can receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training, and job training incentives. In fiscal 2016, the Kentucky Skills Network provided training for nearly 95,000 Kentuckians and 5,000 companies from a variety of industry sectors.
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For more information on the company, visit www.perfettivanmelleusa.us.
A detailed community profile for Northern Kentucky can be viewed at http://bit.ly/NorthernKY.
Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at www.ThinkKentucky.com. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion on Facebook or follow on Twitter. Watch the Cabinet’s “This is My Kentucky” video on YouTube.