Is it just a candy dispenser or a collector’s item? One could say that Pez plastic dispensers and their contents, manufactured and distributed by Pez International (Traun / Austria; www.pez.com), are a little bit of both. An equal partner in the Pez/Haas group, the company recently reported a 6% rise in revenues in H1 2010, reaching EUR 67.9m. The increase mostly is the result of Pez sales, whereas the shares of Haas’ revenues (mostly for baking powder, pudding and mustard) remained at 2009 levels.

Pez by itself generated sales of EUR 32.8m in H1 2010, a year-on-year increase of 13%. Board chairman Manfred Födermayr expects “at least double digit growth” for 2010. Last year’s revenues stood at EUR 64.9m (2008: EUR 62.2m), more than a third of which was generated in the USA where collectors are so passionate about the plastic dispenser that Pez is considering to open a museum at its North American production site in Orange, Connecticut. Total company employee numbers increased from 666 in 2009 to 788 today.

Today, most of the pocket lighter-like dispensers with their comic heads are manufactured in China, although some capacities have remained with Györi Plast Müanyagipari (Györ / Hungary; www.gyoriplast.com). The dispenser’s head and candy slot are injection moulded, printed and welded using ultrasound.