The construction of a US$75 million chocolate processing plant in Bloomington, Illinois, which will process cocoa beans into a range of brands for the Italian business Ferrero, has recently begun. The 70,000-square-foot plant will be Ferrero’s third in the globe and the company’s first in North America. The processing plant will be erected right adjacent to the existing Ferrero factory at 2501 Beach Road in Bloomington, which presently makes 100Grand, Rasinets, Crunch, and Buncha Crunch using European chocolates. Once completed, the new building will supply the processed chocolate required to produce Ferrero’s different goods at the adjacent production facility, as well as at its manufacturing operations in Franklin Park and Brantford, Canada.
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“All of the local governments that are members of the enterprise zone have to join together on the proposal,” Mboka Mwilambwe, Bloomington’s Mayor stated. But then there were staff members that worked for Ferrero to try to ensure that many of their demands were satisfied, and it really culminated for us in the nitty-gritty of the expansion with permissions and things like that.” Sales tax exemptions on building supplies are among the benefits that Ferrero will get.
Todd Siwak, the company CEO, stated that the location was the most appealing than the other facilities in Illinois and North America because “what became evident to us over the last three years is how supportive this community is, and how it is supported by a deep network of skilled and talented team members who are willing to join the Ferrero team.” Ferrero’s continuing investment in Bloomington will create new employment and boost the local and state economies for years to come.” Ferrero purchased the Bloomington plant and others in Illinois in 2018 when it purchased Nestlé’s U.S. confectionery division for US$2.8 billion.
