Glee Gum Pioneer Deborah Schimberg
Friday, December 24, 2010
It was a 1992 trip to an economically depressed chicle-producing community in Guatemala that inspired entrepreneur Deborah Schimberg to create a market for the product stateside that was delicious, sustainable and healthy. The overwhelming majority of gums available, explains the Brown University alum (‘79),contain Aspartame, an increasingly controversial, artificial, non-saccharide sweetener that has been linked to everything from physiological impairments to psychological disorders. “It’s a funny thing, because it’s been approved by the FDA, but there is a lot of antidotal evidence that it causes all sorts of bad things,” said Schimberg.
Sweet & Sustainable
Looking to approach gum production with an entirely new, sustainable approach, Schimberg created Verve, Inc., which produces two all-natural, eco-friendly candy lines: Glee Gum, which officially launched in 1998, and Make Your Own Candy Kits. Glee Gums are sweetened with organic cane sugar and brown rice syrup and are all-natural, devoid of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives. Larger gum producing conglomerates, Schimberg cites Kraft Foods and Mars specifically, are continually focused on innovation, novelty and gimmicks, she says—gums with “bursts,” “crystals” or than intentionally stain the mouth, something particularly appealing for younger customers. “The good news for us is that those companies are not interested in what is a niche market for them,” said Schimberg, adding that Glee Gum’s focus is on ingredients and environmental impact.
Chew on This
In a global industry that has been reported to be worth $23 billion annually, gum is considered to be one of the fastest-growing categories within confectionery, and while Schimberg is quick to point out Verve’s market share is modest at best, the company brings in an estimated $1 million in annual revenue. The company’s downtown Providence office employs a staff of five who have marketed Glee Gum to nearly 5000 stores nationwide as well as Canada and in South Korea. Their newest product, Sugar-Free Glee Gum, has just been introduced in two flavors: Refresh-Mint and Lemon-Lime, and, like other Verve products, is all-natural, but differ in its sugar-based ingredient. “[It’s] sweetened with 100% xylitol, which comes from birch trees,” explains Schimberg. Other fruits and vegetables, including like corn, raspberries and plums, contain xylitol too, an all natural sugar alcohol that has fewer calories and breaks down differently than standard sugar. Sugar-Free Glee Gum is the company’s first corn-free product and available online only until it filters out to national retailers.
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