Bethlehem, PA — October 18, 2017 – Just Born Quality Confections, the maker of iconic candy brands PEEPS®, MIKE AND IKE®, HOT TAMALES® and GOLDENBERG’S® PEANUT CHEWS®, has promoted Matthew J. Pye to Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing from his previous position as Vice President of Sales & Marketing.
As Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing, Matt will continue to oversee responsibility for Sales, Marketing, the Just Born Retail Group, Licensing, Consumer Relations, Corporate Communications and Community Relations. Matt is charged with growing sales profitably through leveraging the power of Just Born’s iconic brands to drive consumer engagement and increased consumption.
Prior to Just Born, Matt started his professional career at Unilever as a successful sales representative selling the DOVE®, WISK®, SNUGGLE® and LEVER 2000® brands. Several years later, he got his start in the candy industry at Cadbury working in marketing on TRIDENT® chewing gum where he was involved in the most significant reformulation on the brand. Matt moved on to a smaller and entrepreneurial opportunity with Fleer Confections as Marketing Manager on all brands, which included DUBBLE BUBBLE® and RAZZLES® bubble gum brands.
Matt joined Just Born in 1998 as the Group Product Manager on the MIKE AND IKE® and HOT TAMALES® candy brands eventually working his way up to Director of Marketing in 2004. In 2006, he moved into sales where he managed the Southeast Territory including Walmart, Sam’s and Dollar Tree. Matt was promoted to Vice President of Marketing in 2010. In 2012, Matt was appointed to Vice President of Corporate Affairs and was responsible for Trade Relations, Community Relations, Government Relations, Consumer Relations and Corporate Communications. In February of 2017, Matt added to his responsibilities taking on the full Sales & Marketing function as Vice President Sales & Marketing.
Matt earned his BS in Marketing from Boston College and has an M.B.A. from Rutgers University. He is an Eagle Scout and currently serves on the Executive Board of the local Boy Scout council. He also serves on the Executive Board of his local United Way and is a member of the Non Profit and Business Partners Council of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.
About Just Born Quality Confections:
Just Born Quality Confections is a third-generation family-owned company and is the maker of some of America’s most beloved and iconic brands – PEEPS®, MIKE AND IKE®, HOT TAMALES® and GOLDENBERG’S® PEANUT CHEWS®. In 1923, the founder, Sam Born, opened a small candy-making and retail store in Brooklyn, New York, where he marketed the freshness of his daily-made candy with a sign that declared, “Just Born.” Together with Born’s brothers-in-law, Irv and Jack Shaffer, the company thrived in spite of the economic depression of the 1930s and, in 1932, moved its operations to Bethlehem, PA, which is still home to their iconic candy brands. All Just Born candies are proudly made in the U.S.A. For more information, please visit www.justborn.com. Follow us: facebook.com/JustBornInc, twitter.com/JustBornInc.
Media Contact:
Sara Semple
Coyne PR
973-588-2000
ssemple@coynepr.com