Van Vliet

What Van Vliet does

Van Vliet (legal name: VAN VLIET BV) is a Dutch family-owned confectionery producer founded in 1974 by Mr and Mrs van Vliet in Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands. The company manufactures and distributes sweets, licorice (drop), and marshmallows under a multi-brand portfolio that includes MEENK (artisanal licorice), Kindly's (nostalgic Dutch sweets), De Bron (lifestyle and sugar-free), The Marshmallow Company, FBR, Fruitfunk (fruit-flavored candy added in 2026), and Sirea 100% pure drop. Production takes place at the company's own facilities in Winschoten and Hoogezand in the north of the Netherlands, with more than 90% of raw materials sourced domestically, including sugar derived from Groningen sugar beets. The company is in its third generation of family ownership and holds BRC, IFS, and HACCP food safety certifications.

The business operates on a B2B wholesale model serving retailers, wholesalers, and private label customers. Retailers order through the dedicated Van Vliet Webstore (webstore.van-vliet.com), with pricing structured around unit pricing plus shipping (free above €140, pallet delivery from €520). Distribution reaches drugstores, gift shops, garden centers, and supermarkets across the Netherlands, Germany, and Scandinavia, supported by a sales branch in Düsseldorf. Alongside its owned brands, Van Vliet runs a full-stack private label service that develops bespoke confectionery concepts for major European retailers including ALDI, Axfood, HEMA, JUMBO, and MGM, covering purchasing, production, packaging, marketing, sales, and distribution.

The company is privately held with no external investors or public listing. It employs 51-100 people across four locations (Alphen aan den Rijn headquarters, Winschoten production, Hoogezand production, and Düsseldorf branch). Marketing channels include trade shows (PLMA Amsterdam, Foodspecialiteiten), magazine advertising, influencer partnerships (e.g., Bo Wilkes and Florine Hofstee), and a multi-platform social media presence. The company is a member of the PLMA Association and Wabel.

Name

Van Vliet

Legal name

VAN VLIET BV

Website

https://van-vliet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Van Vliet is a Dutch family-owned confectionery producer (founded 1974, third generation) that manufactures sweets, licorice, and marshmallows under multiple sub-brands and supplies private label confectionery to major European retailers including ALDI, HEMA, JUMBO, and Axfood.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Confectionery Manufacturing

NAICS

Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (311340)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)

akta.pro primary industry

Confectionery Manufacturing (Chocolate, Candy, Gum) (AFAKAAAD)

Keywords

• Confectionery manufacturing
• Private label candy
• Licorice production
• Marshmallow products
• Dutch candy brands

Headquarters

HQ city

Alphen Aan Den Rijn

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. B2B Wholesale Sales: Van Vliet sells confectionery products (MEENK, Kindly's, De Bron, The Marshmallow Company, FBR, Fruit Funk) to retailers including drugstores, gift shops, garden centers, and other retail outlets across the Netherlands, Germany, and Scandinavia.
2. Private Label Development: Van Vliet creates complete confectionery concepts for retailers including purchasing, production, packaging, marketing, sales and distribution. Private label customers include ALDI, Axfood, HEMA, and JUMBO.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Van Vliet manufactures and distributes a broad range of confectionery products — including licorice, marshmallows, wine gums, and nostalgic sweets — under multiple owned sub-brands (MEENK, Kindly's, De Bron, The Marshmallow Company, Fruitfunk, FBR, Sirea). In addition to its branded portfolio, the company offers private label candy development and production services for European retail chains, with orders managed through the Van Vliet Webstore B2B platform.

Product overview

Van Vliet | The Family of Candy Brands is a Dutch family-owned confectionery company founded in 1974, now in its third generation. The company operates as a multi-brand portfolio under a unified corporate umbrella, comprising owned sub-brands MEENK (premium/artisanal licorice), Kindly's (nostalgic Dutch sweets), De Bron / De Bron Lifestyle Candies (lifestyle and sugar-free offerings), The Marshmallow Company, Fruitfunk (fruit-flavored candy), and FBR. Beyond its own brands, Van Vliet also operates a Private Label business creating bespoke confectionery brands for retailers. Products span formats including loose candy (wichtgoed), stand-up pouches (stazakjes), gift boxes, displays, and seasonal offerings. Distribution runs through a proprietary B2B webstore platform (webstore.van-vliet.com) and wholesale channels. The company holds BRC and IFS food safety certifications and operates production facilities in Winschoten and Hoogezand, Netherlands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MEENK: Dutch licorice brand offering various drop varieties including gift packaging, coffee truffles, and traditional drop
• Kindly's
• De Bron
• The Marshmallow Company
• FBR
• Fruitfunk

Products and services

• MEENK Owned Van Vliet sub-brand of licorice products targeted at B2B trade customers.
• Kindly's Owned Van Vliet sub-brand of nostalgic sweets targeted at B2B trade customers.
• De Bron Owned Van Vliet sub-brand offering lifestyle and sugar-free candy for B2B trade customers.
• The Marshmallow Company Owned Van Vliet sub-brand of marshmallow products targeted at B2B trade customers.
• Fruitfunk Owned Van Vliet sub-brand of fruit-flavored confectionery targeted at B2B trade customers.
• FBR Owned Van Vliet sub-brand of confectionery products targeted at B2B trade customers.
• Sirea Owned Van Vliet sub-brand of 100% pure-drop licorice targeted at B2B trade customers.
• Van Vliet Private Label Service Full-service private label candy offering for European retail chains (including ALDI, Axfood, HEMA, and JUMBO), covering product development, manufacturing, and packaging of retailer-owned candy ranges.
• Vegan Candy range Category line of vegan confectionery products offered to B2B trade customers.
• Sugar-Free Candy range Category line of sugar-free confectionery products offered to B2B trade customers.
• Wichtgoed (loose candy) Category line of loose candy products sold by weight to B2B trade customers.
• Displays Category line of ready-made display solutions for retailers, holding Van Vliet candy brands at the point of sale.
• Cadeautips (gift assortments) Category line of gift candy assortments targeted at gifting occasions for B2B trade customers.
• Van Vliet Webstore B2B e-commerce ordering platform through which trade accounts place candy orders, with tiered shipping rates and same-day shipping cutoffs.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• PLMA AssociationminorOthersVan Vliet is a member of the PLMA (Private Label Manufacturers Association), an industry association supporting private label manufacturers.
• WabelminorOthersVan Vliet is a member of Wabel, a private label industry association.
• DHLminorOthersDHL is the logistics partner executing all shipments for Van Vliet. Orders are delivered via DHL, with standard shipping at €7.50 and free shipping for orders above €140.
• ALDIcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorALDI is a private label customer for Van Vliet, selling Van Vliet-developed private label confectionery products in their stores.
• AxfoodcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAxfood is a private label customer for Van Vliet, featuring Van Vliet confectionery products in their retail network.
• HEMAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHEMA is a private label customer for Van Vliet, selling Van Vliet-developed confectionery products.
• JUMBOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJUMBO is a private label customer for Van Vliet, featuring Van Vliet confectionery products in their supermarkets.
• MGMcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMGM is a private label customer for Van Vliet, selling Van Vliet-developed confectionery products.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mondelēz International: Global snacks and confectionery conglomerate (Cadbury, Milka, Toblerone). Comparable as a large-scale confectionery incumbent whose private-label and branded portfolios compete for the same European retail shelf space and private-label contracts as Van Vliet.
• Haribo: German global candy and gummy bear manufacturer, vastly larger than Van Vliet but overlapping in sugar confectionery, licorice, and marshmallow categories. Comparable as a confectionery incumbent competing for the same retail shelf space across European markets.
• Perfetti Van Melle: Italian-Dutch confectionery group producing Mentos, Chupa Chups, Fruittella, and other sugar confectionery brands. Comparable as a large European sugar confectionery manufacturer with significant private-label capabilities across the same retail channels as Van Vliet.
• Mars: Global confectionery manufacturer (M&M's, Snickers, Maltesers, Extra). Comparable as a multinational confectionery incumbent competing across the same Dutch, German, and Scandinavian retail and wholesale channels, with private-label exposure.
• Ferrero: Italian-headquartered global confectionery group (Nutella, Kinder, Tic Tac, Ferrero Rocher). Comparable as a large European confectionery incumbent with branded and seasonal gifting ranges (relevant to Van Vliet's MEENK gift and De Dropproeverij sets) competing for European premium confectionery shelf space.

Direct peers

• Cloetta: Swedish sugar confectionery manufacturer with a broad portfolio of branded candies, pastilles, and chewing gum across the Nordics, Netherlands, and other European markets. Highly comparable as a mid-sized European branded and private-label confectionery company operating in similar channels and product formats as Van Vliet.
• Red Band: Dutch sugar confectionery brand (part of Glisten/Stork group) producing gums, pastilles, and candies sold across Dutch and European retail. Comparable as a Netherlands-based branded confectionery manufacturer competing in the same drugstore, supermarket, and convenience-store channels.
• Tony's Chocolonely: Dutch premium chocolate confectionery company with a strong ethical/sourcing brand proposition and similar mid-sized scale (~500+ employees). Comparable as a Dutch-headquartered branded confectionery company selling across European retail with a values-led positioning that overlaps with Van Vliet's 'Made in Holland' and natural-ingredient story.

Regional players

• Toms Gruppen: Danish family-owned chocolate and sugar confectionery group (Toms, Skippers, Anthon Berg). Comparable as a Nordic family-run confectionery manufacturer with branded and private-label offerings in chocolate and sweets across Scandinavian and European retail.
• Fazer Group: Finnish family-owned confectionery and bakery group producing chocolate, sugar confectionery, and licorice (incl. salmiak brands). Comparable in confectionery category mix (especially licorice) and as a family-owned regional confectionery player focused on Nordic and Baltic markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VAN-VLIET-The-Family-of-Candy-Brands-100063838513759
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vanvliet
• Instagraminstagram.com/meenkdrop

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Van Vliet