YEAH. FOR OVER 100 YEARS, THE PIEDMONT CANDY COMPANY HAS BEEN A COMMUNITY STAPLE, THE COMMUNITY OF LEXINGTON. AND THEY HAVE GROWN IMMENSELY IN THAT TIME BUT ARE STILL MOST WIDELY KNOWN FOR THEIR RED BIRTH BIRD, SOFT PEPPERMINT POPS. THEY ARE A DELIGHT IN THIS DELIGHTFUL, DELICIOUS. AND JOINING US NOW LIVE, DAVID, JUST A BIT INSIGHT INTO HOW THOSE PEPPERMINTS ARE MADE IS THE PIEDMONT CANDY COMPANY IS EMILY CARMICHAEL. SHE’S THE COMPANY’S OF SALES. GOOD MORNING, EMILY GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. I MEAN, WE CAN ALREADY SEE THAT ICONIC STRIPIG THAT IN THE BACK OF YOUR SHOT HERE. BUT CAN YOU JUST QUICKLY SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY? I MEAN, 100 YEARS WE’RE TALKING THIS GOES WAY BACK. REALLY DOES. WAY BEFORE MY TIME. YEAH PIEDMONT CANDY HAS BEEN MAKING SOFT PEPPERMINT PUFFS SINCE 1890, RIGHT HERE IN LEXINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA. WE CALL OURSELVES THE ORIGINAL SOFT PEPPERMINT PART. THE ORIGINAL MELT WHITE MINT. THE BRAND CAME A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT ALWAYS BEEN A SMALL TOWN, FAMILY OWNED COMPANY. THE REED FAMILY PURCHASED THE COMPANY IN THE 1980S, AND THEY REALLY FOCUSED ON PUTTING REDBIRD BRANDED ITEMS ON THE MAP NATIONAL. SO THAT’S REALLY WHAT MADE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE. SO WHAT MADE DAVIDSON COUNTY THE TRIAD SUCH A GOOD FIT FOR THE PIEDMONT COMPANY? LEXINGTON IS THE PERFECT LITTLE TOWN FOR ASTOUNDING OLD FASHIONED CANDY BRAND, MOSTLY BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE HERE IN DAVIDSON COUNTY, TOO. THEY’VE SUPPORTED LOCALLY SMALL BUSINESSES, WHICH IS GREAT. PEOPLE ARE WONDERFUL. BUT WE’RE ALSO REALLY CLOSE TO 85 AND 40. SO IT’S A GOOD CENTRAL LOCATION. AND WE DO HAVE A VERY LOYAL FOLLOWING. PEOPLE TO US CALL US. THEY COME TO VISIT. JUST FROM FROM OVER THE PLACE. I’LL DRIVE HOURS TO COME AND VISIT. BUT WE LIKE TO SEND OVER TO THE LOCAL CANDY STORE ON MAIN STREET. THE CANDY FACTORY. IT’S ACTUALLY WAS STARTED FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNERS OF PIEDMONT CANDY, THE NEIGHBORING FAMILY. SO THEY HAVE A LOT OF HISTORY INFORMATION. OLD PACKAGING. THAT’S A REALLY COOL STUFF IN THERE. SO I ALWAYS RECOMMEND THAT PEOPLE CHECK IT OUT. AND EMILY, WE’RE SHOWING SOME OF THE PRODUCTION OF THE RED BIRD PEPPERMINT. IT LOOKS REALLY COOL LIKE IT’S ICONIC. YOU CAN’T STOP IT. THAT LOOKS REALLY INTRIGUING. JUST HOW LARGE THE I MEAN, WHAT ARE YOU WHAT IS IT MADE OF? CAN YOU KIND OF SHARE ABOUT WHAT THE PRODUCTION IS LIKE? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE, ABOUT EIGHT AND A HALF YEARS AGO, I THOUGHT WAS LIKE WILLY WONKA. SO. BUT YEAH, WE JUST USED THREE VERY SIMPLE INGREDIENTS. IT’S PURE CANE SUGAR AND, THE BEST. ALL NATURAL PEPPERMINT OIL YOU CAN SOURCE IN THE US. AND A LITTLE BIT OF FOOD COLORING. WE STILL MAKE IT VERY MUCH LIKE WE MADE IT IN THE OLD DAYS IN THE EARLY THEY MADE ABOUT 2,000 POUNDS A DAY. THEY USE THOSE OLD COPPER KETTLES AND THAT WAS ABOUT 44 MILLION PUFFS PER YEAR, WHICH A LOT. BUT NOW USE A BIG BOILER INSTEAD OF A LITTLE KETTLES AND WE MAKE ABOUT 50,000 POUNDS OF CANDY PER DAY, WHICH EQUATES TO OVER BILLION POUNDS PER YEAR. SO IT’S IT’S A LOT OF CANDY. WE KEEP IT GOING. OH, YOU’RE ALL YEAR ROUND. OBVIOUSLY, THE BIGGEST IS AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME. BUT AMERICA LOVES RED BIRD. WE JUST PUMPING IT OUT. SO. AND EMILY, I HAVE TO ASK FOR IT TO BE THIS COMPANY TO HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR SO LONG. THERE’S GOT TO BE GENERATIONS THAT COME TO THE STORES LIKE, OH, I REMEMBER COMING AS A KID, AND NOW THEY’RE SHARING WITH THEIR KIDS OR THEIR GRANDKIDS. DO YOU HEAR STORIES LIKE THAT OFTEN ABSENT LATELY? I MEAN, THAT’S WHAT KEEPS US GOING. IT’S JUST PASSED DOWN GENERATION, GENERATION. IT’S SUCH A NOSTALGIC BRAND. YOU REMEMBER YOUR GRANDPARENTS HAVING IT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST YOU CAN’T HELP BUT FALL IN LOVE WITH IT. YEAH. IT’S BEEN SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON OUR SHOW, EMILY. YOU MENTIONED DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON TO YOUR POPULAR WHAT A FUN IDEA THAT WOULD BE. OH, YEAH. TAKE WHOLE FAMILY DOWN TO THE FACTORY. DID YOU HAVE ANY PARTING THOUGHTS? YES. I WANT TO MAKE SURE I SHOWCASE OUR TWO NEWEST ITEMS. NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THESE BEFORE. WE’VE GOT A PEPPERMINT BARK AND A PEPPERMINT POPCORN. YOU CAN FIND THE BARK AT FOOD LION IS PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO FIND IT IN. THE WALGREENS. BUT THEY’RE BOTH. WE USE OUR CRUSHED PEPPERMINT ON TOP. IT MAKES THE PERFECT TOPPING. WE DON’T USE CORN SIRUP, SO IT’S NOT STICKY. IT DOESN’T STICK IN YOUR TEETH. IT JUST CRUNCHES NICELY. YOU GET THAT BURST OF PEPPERMINT AND THEN IT DISSOLVES. JUST THE PERFECT BITE IN YOUR MOUTH. BUT YOU CAN ALSO FIND THESE AT THE CANDY FACTORY ON MAIN IN LEXINGTON AND THEN ALWAYS ON OUR WEBSITE AND THROUGH AMAZON TO WOW. EMILY, YOU WERE VERY WHAT A GREAT GIFT IDEAS THERE YOU HAVE TO TRY. WE WE PICK AROUND HERE THAT YOU CAN’T JUST EAT ONE BITE YOU END UP EATING THE WHOLE BAG. SO DEFINITELY START DOWN THERE AND THAT’S ALL WE SAY AROUND HERE TO EMILY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, YOU EMILY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. AND, OF COURSE, MERRY CHRISTMAS. YEAH, YOU TOO. YOU GUYS AT HOME WOULD LOVE TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE DELICIOUS CANDIES. JUST VISIT THA