eCandy.com, Inc., the leading online candy destination offering confectionery products, has appointed James R. Griffin, a 15 year veteran of Nestle, as President.
Prior to joining eCandy, Griffin oversaw The Willy Wonka Candy Factory division of Nestle, SA as Vice President/General Manager. Griffin, who was brought in to build Nestle’s Wonka division from Nestle Australia in 1997, managed the estimated $200 million-plus children’s confectionery business comprised of well-known products such as Nerds, Laffy Taffy and Runts. During his tenure, Griffin doubled the Wonka-branded business, making it the number one candy brand among children ages 6 – 12 and elevating it to one of Nestle SA’s strategic brands.
A major factor in eCandy’s selection of Griffin over other highly-respected candidates was his development of www.Wonka.com, the division’s award winning site, which has become the leader in the children’s confectionery category, with users averaging twenty plus minutes per visit. Griffin, who has been involved with CLIO Award-winning television and packaging design initiatives, oversaw all aspects of marketing, advertising, consumer/trade promotions, public relations, package design and merchandising during his nearly three years at Wonka.
“Without question, Jim Griffin is the perfect and most-qualified executive to lead eCandy over the coming years as we become the major player in the online candy industry,” said eCandy Co-Founder David Kim. “Jim is a very creative, knowledgeable and well respected industry veteran. His work in building and enhancing the Wonka brand and site has greatly impressed us. We are looking forward to his initiatives and direction on a variety of issues, from strategic partnerships and new products to advertising/marketing initiatives and the overall enhancement of our site.”
Griffin was also Head of Sales and Marketing for Nestle Australia LTD and held top-level marketing posts with the Friskies PetCare and Ice Cream divisions of Nestle. Before joining Nestle, Griffin was with Martha White Foods and the Friskie’s PetCare Division of the Carnation Company, prior to its acquisition by Nestle. A graduate of the University of California – Berkley with a B.S. in Business Administration and an MBA from UCLA, Griffin serves on the Board of Directors of the National Confectioners’ Association and is a regular speaker at industry seminars and conventions.
About eCandy.com, Inc.
eCandy’s mission is to be the first full-service Internet destination for the confectionery community providing consumers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers with a broad selection of competitively priced products, industry content and business services. Through the power of e-commerce, eCandy provides its customers with a superior branded shopping experience, offering everything from Jelly Belly beans and Pop Rocks to premium truffles and hard-to-find European chocolates.
eCandy recently implemented a strategic marketing and distribution partnership with Nestle USA for the company’s chocolate and confectionery division, which includes the Nestle, Willy Wonka and Perugina brands, among others. The company is still continuing to pursue several marketing, distribution and partnership alliances with nationally recognized chocolate and candy manufacturers, as well as with leading Internet destinations.
Founded by Rani Aliahmad, John Hadl and David Kim, eCandy is based in Los Angeles, CA and is a privately held company whose partners include T.I. Capital and iXL Ventures.
