Ferrero broke ground for its first-ever chocolate processing facility in North America on Tuesday, May 7, in Bloomington, Illinois. The 70,000-square-foot expansion to Ferrero’s campus, which manufactures iconic brands like Kinder, Ferrero Rocher, Butterfinger, and CRUNCH, is part of a $75 million investment and market expansion.
“Bringing Ferrero’s decades of experience making high-quality, world-class chocolate to Illinois—the heart of America’s food and confections industry—will help us achieve our goal of being the sweets and treats leader in the market,” said Alanna Cotton, President and Chief Business Officer of Ferrero North America, in a press statement.
FERRERO IN THE U.S. MARKET
The famous Italian chocolate company saw great growth over the past year. Ferrero USA grew by over 12%, and certain brands like Nutella and Kinder Bueno saw double-digit sales growth. The company tells Italianfood.net that it is focused on ensuring its products are available and affordable in today’s environment. The new facility is making chocolate and will continue making chocolate. By having a facility in North America, the company can respond to consumer behavior.
Ferrero isn’t just focused on its projects in Illinois. It has added distribution centers in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona and invested in Oregon’s hazelnut growers. The company tells Italianfood.net that over the past ten years, it has invested an estimated $10 billion in the North American market.