ERLANGER, KY. — Did you know Northern Kentucky is the birthplace of Airheads?
Steve Bruner created the popular bar-like candy at Perfetti Van Melle’s Erlanger plant in 1985. The candy has grown to become a staple of modern candy culture around the world.
Today, Perfetti Van Melle produces 6.5 million Airheads bars at the plant daily. With the brand approaching its 40th anniversary, the confection manufacturer unveiled a giant, 3-D sign of Oscar, the iconic Airheads red balloon, in front of its Erlanger plant – located at 3645 Turfway Road.
Prior to the unveiling, the sign was draped with a black tarp adorned with the phrase, “fun stuff coming soon.”
The sign was showcased to the public at a ceremony on Monday attended by Perfetti Van Melle factory workers and Northern Kentucky community leaders such as Boone County Judge Executive Gary Moore, Erlanger Mayor Jessica Fette and NKY Chamber of Commerce President Brent Cooper.
“It was fun to see so many leaders in the community come out to celebrate this fun new sign and take a moment to recognize the impact this business has on the entire Northern Kentucky region,” Cooper said in a statement to LINK nky. “They are helping to make life sweeter!”
Perfertti Van Melle North America CEO Sylvia Buxton wanted the statue to be a regional symbol for Northern Kentucky, making Airheads a more visible part of the region’s culture and allure.
“We can’t wait to have people taking selfies in front of it and letting the world know that Perfetti Van Melle and Airheads are proud to be here in Northern Kentucky,” Buxton said during the unveiling.
Buxton shared that the idea of building the statue first came about two years ago. The company inquired with the Boone County Planning Commission about getting a special sign district approved on factory grounds. The commission acquiesced, and the rest is history.
“We took our big vision and dreams to the Boone County Planning Commission, where we were granted a special county sign district that allowed us to better brand our presence here at our factory in Erlanger on Turfway Road,” Buxton said.
Perfetti Van Melle is the second-largest non-chocolate candy manufacturer in the United States. The company’s Erlanger plant, which opened in 1978, also produces Airheads Xtremes, Mentos gum and mints, Chupa Chups lollipops, Trident, Dentyne, and Bubblicious gum.
The company has continued to invest in Northern Kentucky, doubling its workforce presence in the region from 250 to 500 over the past four years, according to a press release from the company.
Source: https://linknky.com/business/2024/07/02/airheads-northern-kentucky/