The Pür Company

Canadian brand PÜR was founded in 2010. The story behind the brand, however, began much earlier, when one of its founders was a boy selling sweets from his backpack to earn a little extra money.

The founding team was driven to create the brand and develop these chewing gums by the increasing use of artificial sweeteners in gum and other sweets, along with their negative impact on our health.

The PÜR team therefore set out to rid the world of aspartame, and in 2015 launched its first product, PÜR Mints. Over the following years, more chewing gum flavours were added, followed by sweets and new varieties, and PÜR continues to work on further innovations. The brand is based in Canada, while PÜR Gum is made in Switzerland and PÜR Mints in Turkey.

PÜR Gum and PÜR Mints are

• Naturally sweet - thanks to 100% xylitol (a natural sweetener obtained from sustainably grown birch and beech trees in Europe), these chewing gums are suited to people with diabetes, so they can be enjoyed without increasing blood sugar levels. They are made from high-quality ingredients without chemical additives, without compromising on taste.
• Suited to people with allergies and other health-related dietary restrictions - PÜR Gum and PÜR Mints offer a simple substitute and a healthier alternative to conventional chewing gum and mints containing harmful chemicals. They contain no peanuts, soya or nuts and are free from artificial sweeteners and flavourings.
• For everyone - everyone should be able to enjoy fresh breath without worry, whatever their dietary restrictions. PÜR products are vegan and gluten-free, non-GMO and naturally sweetened with 100% xylitol. They also work well with a keto, low-sugar or sugar-free diet.

Benefits of PÜR Gum and PÜR Mints

• Support the normal condition of the mouth - naturally sweetened with 100% xylitol - recommended by dentists, it reduces plaque formation and helps wash away bacteria.
• Suited to everyone - vegan, gluten-free, soya-free, nut-free and peanut-free.
• Made in Europe and non-GMO - contain high-quality ingredients sourced from Europe.
• Suited to people with diabetes - xylitol has one of the lowest glycaemic indices among natural sweeteners.

Discover PÜR Gum and kick aspartame!

The PÜR brand brings together three key elements:

1. Simple ingredient substitution. Conventional confectionery is full of artificial sweeteners and additives that are not good for our long-term health.
   

2. Considering people with allergies and dietary restrictions - inclusion. The brand is for everyone, regardless of individual restrictions or needs.
   

3. High product quality - made in Europe, with PÜR Gum produced in Switzerland and PÜR Mints in Turkey, which guarantees that the ingredients used in production do not come into contact with any allergens.
   

 

With PÜR Gum and PÜR Mints, consumers who prefer healthier alternatives are offered natural substitutes that fit their healthier lifestyle or dietary restrictions. These vegan, gluten-free, soya-free, nut-free and peanut-free products are at the forefront of healthier chewing.

 

PÜR Gum is made with xylitol, a natural sweetener, and is also suited to people with diabetes who want to enjoy the simple pleasure of chewing gum.

 

These three pillars form the foundation reflected across all PÜR products and throughout the brand. But this successful pursuit of quality is only the beginning. The history of PÜR Gum is filled with challenges and achievements that continue to move the company towards a dynamic future.

How it all began...

Going back to the beginning, the story starts with Jay Klein, founder of PÜR Gum, who as a boy sold sweets from his backpack to classmates at school.

 

 

In 2007, rather than going to law school, Klein started his own advertising and marketing company.

 

He took the opportunity to create his own brand. It was called Bonus and sold chewing gum made with superfood ingredients. Although it worked at first, Klein eventually had to walk away.

 

"I got in over my head and I just had to walk away from it," Klein said in an interview with the National Post. "[We were] too innovative. It was a really steep ride up [but] a quick fizzle out."

 

The end of Bonus Gum, however, helped pave the way for PÜR Gum's future success.

 

Klein reassessed everything and decided to start small. As he likes to say, he and his team decided to take PÜR Gum and "run for mayor".

 

The "run for mayor" process worked like this: Klein and his team went door to door, focusing on making connections, educating people and building relationships with customers and retailers.

 

"We didn't build our brand on the back of one giant retailer, which is usually a very aspirational thing for most small brands," Klein told Abigail Watt in an interview for Candy Industry. "We did it more door to door. Every year we grew and we were very persistent, hardworking and humble. And it worked."

 

 

Dragon's Den

And it really did work. From its first month in May 2010 to July of the same year, PÜR Gum expanded its presence from the shelves of 33 local health food shops to 174 stores.

 

PÜR Gum continued to gain momentum. In 2011, the chewing gum was launched in the US market and began appearing on the shelves of airport duty-free shops.

 

One of the brand's biggest successes, however, came in 2014. Klein and his team appeared on CBC's Dragon's Den. Like many people before them, they made their pitch and waited to see whether any investor/ dragon would want to make a deal. They did not get the attention of one dragon. They got the attention of four.

 

The four dragons offered Klein and his team three deals. After careful consideration, Klein accepted a joint one-million-dollar deal from Arelene Dickinson and Jim Trevliving. Klein thus became the first million-dollar deal in the history of Dragon's Den.

 

Within a year, PÜR Gum expanded its range to include mints. The mints share all the values and standards of the chewing gum, but in lozenge form for people who do not want to or cannot chew gum. Their success added further growth to the company.

 

By 2016, PÜR had become the tenth fastest-growing company in Canada and the fourth fastest-growing in Toronto. PÜR had not yet reached its goal, however, and continued to pursue further growth.

 

"We want to strengthen our global presence and we want to continue expanding within existing retailers," says Klein. "I think a large part of the growth will come from extending the PÜR brand, taking the same brand values we operate by and continuing to innovate with new products that meet our customers' demand."

 

The future

Even from PÜR's short history, it is clear that it is a successful company selling chewing gum and mints in more than 25 countries around the world. Wondering how you can achieve the same?

 

Jay Klein's advice, which we also follow as a business:

 

"Be motivated by creating something for the greater good rather than being driven by a financial milestone - this will allow you to learn from mistakes and take risks, as well as grow through enthusiasm."

 

And remember: Kick Aspartam^®! In Czech: Dejte kopačky aspartamu^®!