Success is Sweet for Suffolk University Business School Grads

Nov. 18, 2009 - PRLog -- Boston, MA – Candy.com co-founders Greg Balestrieri and Joe Melville had the audience eating out of their hands when they told the fascinating story of launching their thriving, million dollar business in July 2009 -- only months after graduating from Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School in Boston.

In an informative, entertaining and well-attended event sponsored by Suffolk’s Entrepreneurial Studies Program, Balestrieri, 23, and Melville, 31 shared with faculty and students the secrets behind the recent launch of their new and successful online candy store, Candy.com.  

“We’re just two regular guys who are working hard to shake-up the candy world,” said Balestrieri, CEO of the company.  “We’ve been able to turn our dream into reality, and we’re having a lot of fun doing it.”

Balestrieri and Melville are cousins who represent the third generation of the family-owned Melville Candy Company of Weymouth, Massachusetts.  They conceived Candy.com two years ago when they saw the growth of Melville Candy's online store grow by 371 percent. They knew then it was time to take a greater stake in the candy industry and acquire the Candy.com domain name.  The purchase price of $3 million for the prime, online real estate was the second-highest domain sale of the year behind the $5.1 million paid for toys dot com by Toys "R" Us Inc.

“Right now, we’re making an impact in both the candy and domain industries,” said Melville.  “Our goal is to build this business on many levels.”

Acknowledging the strong educational programs offered at Suffolk University, Melville and Balestrieri thanked Sawyer Business School Dean William J. O’Neill and Professor George Moker, director of Entrepreneurship Programs, who were in attendance, for their overwhelming support.  The young entrepreneurs also told the crowd how they wouldn’t be where they are today without the education, guidance and inspiration they received at Suffolk.

“There were a lot of important parts to making this all come together, and Suffolk’s role was huge,” said Balestrieri.  He then told the students, not much younger than himself, “If you surround yourself with good and smart people, good things will happen.”

Offering a final bit of good humor, Balestrieri and Melville made a great hit with the crowd by presenting gigantic Candy.com lollipops to O’Neill and Moker.  Adding the perfect touch to one of the sweetest events of the year everyone was given bags of Suffolk blue and gold m&m’s.  Now that’s sweet!

ABOUT CANDY.COM – Candy.com, the world's largest corner candy store, is the go-to destination for everything candy - selling more than 6,000 different candy items from 500-plus manufacturers.  Recognized as an innovative candy community, the popular online candy store offers unique candy search tools, product reviews, blogs, customer giveaways and a special section for children.

Candy.com was co-founded by cousins Greg Balestrieri and Joe Melville who represent the third generation of the family-owned Melville Candy Company.  The company is poised to become a key leader in the multi-billion dollar confectionery industry.  Located in Weymouth, Massachusetts, Candy.com ships anywhere in the U.S. via UPS.  For more information go to www.candy.com.


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