Hershey Unveils World’s Most Modern Chocolate Plant
US-based Hershey Company has opened the world’s most technologically advanced chocolate making facility. Involving investment of $300 million, the new facility at Hershey in Pennsylvania is intended to position the company for its next 100 years of global growth. The new facility features proprietary, state-of-the-art technology never before used in the manufacture of confectionery.
The new technology was developed specifically for the plant, including highly automated, large-scale Hershey’s Kisses Chocolate operations. The plant’s advanced IT systems include automated, real-time diagnostics systems to help keep operations running smoothly 24 hours a day.
The expanded Hershey facility is one of the company’s largest capital investments and represents one of the largest construction projects in Pennsylvania in two decades. The opening highlights Hershey’s strategy to grow its business globally while remaining true to its heritage and values, grounded in more than a century of chocolate making and confectionery innovation in Hershey.
The new 340,000 sq ft expansion at Hershey is located less than two miles from the company’s original chocolate factory opened in 1905 by Milton Hershey.
The expansion is the largest component of Project Next Century – a program to modernize and upgrade Hershey’s global supply chain and ensure a competitive cost structure. Hershey is one of the company’s eight manufacturing sites in the United States.
The Hershey Company is the largest producer of quality chocolate in North America and a global leader in chocolate and sugar confectionery. The Hershey Company has operations throughout the world and approximately 14,000 employees. With revenues of more than $6 billion, Hershey offers confectionery products under more than 25 brand names, including such iconic brands as Hershey’s, Reese’s, Hershey’s Kisses, Hershey’s Bliss, Hershey’s Special Dark, Kit Kat, Twizzlers, Jolly Rancher and Ice Breakers. Hershey also offers premium and artisan chocolate products under such brands as Scharffen Berger and Dagoba through the Artisan Confections Company, a wholly owned subsidiary. The company is focused on growing its presence in key international markets such as China and Mexico while continuing to build its competitive advantage in the United States and Canada.
