The Hershey Company last week officially opened its new chocolate processing facility in its namesake city. The announcement was made by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office.
The new Reese’s Chocolate Processing facility represents the company’s first “fully integrated digital manufacturing plant,” officials said, as well as the first new manufacturing facility built in the Hershey area in more than three decades.
The 250,000-square-foot complex sits on 55 acres between an existing Reese’s site and the company’s technical center. It will produce chocolate used to make Reese’s and KitKat brand products, as well as Hershey’s Symphony and Special Dark chocolates.
The project is part of a larger $1 billion Hershey initiative that will upgrade 11 current production lines and add 13 new ones across its North American footprint.
“Our ability to make and deliver products both quickly and efficiently is a key component of our growth strategy,” Will Bonifant, the company’s vice president of supply chain strategy and manufacturing, said in a statement. “We’ve made significant investments to speed production, increase capacity and develop our workforce for the future to make more of the iconic brands consumers love.”