Global confectionery company Ferrero Group plans to invest up to $214 million to expand its chocolate processing and product manufacturing plant in Bloomington, Illinois, creating up to 200 new jobs and making the site one of its biggest production lines outside of Europe.
The expansion comes hot on the heels of Ferrero starting construction on its Bloomington facility, which is slated to start up in 2023. Work on the 169,000-sq-ft addition is expected to start by this fall and will make the company’s popular Kinder Bueno chocolate bar. After launching in North America in 2019, the Kinder Bueno brand grew more than 50 percent last year to $167 million, the company said.
“The investments we’re making in Bloomington are fueling continued growth for Ferrero in North America and are also creating important job opportunities in the community,” Todd Siwak, President and Chief Business Officer of Ferrero North America, said in a press release. “We are thrilled to continue growing here with the invaluable support of the City of Bloomington, McLean County, and the State of Illinois.”
One of the biggest chocolate and confectionary companies in the world, Ferrero is also known for its Ferrero Rocher chocolates, Nutella hazelnut spread, and other products. In 2018, it also acquired the Butterfinger, Crunch Bar, Baby Ruth, and other candy brands from Nestle.
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