“Albanese Confectionery in Hobart, Indiana, will get a 10-year tax break on its $33 million expansion, which will include “a fourth production line, packaging line, bulk sugar system and other production plans,” according to the Chicago Tribune. The company, which makes Gummi Bears and other candies, will hire about 150 people as a result of the expansion and expects to have more than 550 employees by 2019.”
Chicago Tribune
1-19-18
“Nestle is selling its U.S. confectionery business to Italian chocolate and candy maker Ferrero for an estimated $2.8 billion, the company said Tuesday. Nestle’s American sweet treats include Nestle Crunch, Butterfinger, Baby Ruth, Raisinets, Nips, Skinny Cow and Laffy Taffy.”
USA Today
1-16-18
“Candy king Hershey is buying Amplify Snack Brands, the maker of SkinnyPop popcorn, for $1.6 billion. The Hershey acquisition values Amplify Snack Brands at $12 a share – a more than 70% bump from the $7 price that the stock closed at on Friday. Shares of Amplify Snack Brands surged nearly 71% Monday morning.”
CNN Money
12-18-17
“John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc. said it is expanding its product line with the purchase of Squirrel Brand, a company that started in 1888. The Elgin company said it purchased certain assets and assumed certain liabilities of Squirrel Brand for $31.5 million, of which $20 million was paid in cash and $11.5 million was financed by the seller through a three year unsecured promissory note.”
Daily Herald (Chicago)
12-1-17
“Mount Franklin Nutritionals, a manufacturer of gummy nutritional supplements, organic gummies and fruit snacks and a subsidiary of El Paso, Texas-based Mount Franklin Foods, says its new 100,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility in Sumter, S.C., is primed to serve the ‘rapidly growing’ $2.7-billion nutraceuticals industry. The facility, which can produce 11 million gummies per day, was built to deliver top-quality nutritionals for private-label and co-manufacturing customers in the United States and internationally, the company says.”
Candy Industry.com
11-29-17
“Nassau Candy has won tax breaks for an expansion project in Hicksville that will add 15 people to its local payroll of 435, officials said. The Hicksville-based manufacturer plans to construct a 7,210-square-foot addition to its headquarters at 300 Duffy Ave. The building is 127,000 square feet.”
Newsday
11-21-17
“A 10-year, $31.5 million Grow New Jersey grant application put forth by Mars Wrigley Confectionary US LLC was approved Tuesday by the state Economic Development Authority.
The chocolate and candy giant has plans to move offices into the Ironside Newark building, a seven-story, mixed-use project owned by Edison Properties and slated to open next year.
Capital investment in the 110,000 square-ft. Newark office space is an estimated $42 million, with offices to be leased for 15 years with one 10-year renewal option.”
Tapinto.net
11-14-17
“Watch out Mars, Hershey, and Mondelez: Ferrero International is taking a bigger bite out of the U.S. candy market. This week, the Italian company behind Ferrero Rocher, Tic Tac mints, and Nutella agreed to buy Ferrara Candy Co., the maker of Lemonheads and RedHots, from private-equity firm L Catterton. According to The Wall Street Journal’s sources, the deal cost about $1.3 billion.”
Fortune
10-20-17
“Virc LLC, a Mexican-owned manufacturer of gummy candy, is building a manufacturing plant in Selma, officials said Thursday. Construction of the plant, which will span about 25,000 square feet and cost about $3 million, is set to wrap up in March. The plant will have 12 to 15 employees, said Mario Hernandez, president of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation.”
San Antonio Express-News
9-10-17
“Seasonal chocolate sales should increase by 5.37 percent by 2021, according to Research and Markets.”
Candy & Snack Today
7-5-17
“Double-digit growth prompts Sanders Candy to remodel [Mich.] headquarters.”
Confectionery News
6-29-17
“A $70 million investment in Mars Chocolate North America’s U.S. supply chain demonstrates the candy giant’s long-standing commitment to American manufacturing and innovation, and shows just how important the confectionery category is to the U.S. economy. The company says the move will add an estimated 250 jobs to chocolate product manufacturing sites across the U.S.”
Candy & Snack Today
6-13-17
“Hickory Harvest Foods has added 17,000 square feet of manufacturing space to its Akron, OH facility.”
Candy & Snack Today
5-31-17
“Abdallah Candies invests $14m in new Minn. Facility.”
CandyIndustry.com
4-7-17
“The Mentos maker Perfetti van Melle USA will expand its manufacturing plant near Erlanger, Kentucky, with an $11m investment, adding 70 new full-time jobs to the state.”
Confectionery News
4-4-17
“Mars Chocolate North America announced Thursday a $70 million reinvestment in its U.S. supply chain…. This latest investment will add approximately 250 new jobs to sites across the country.”
FoodManufacturing.com
3-31-17
“Gummy bear giant Haribo to build first North American plant in Pleasant Prairie [Wis.] with 400 jobs.”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
3-23-17
“The announcement this week that the Hershey Chocolate Company plant in Stuarts Draft [Va.] will add 69 new jobs and spend millions on new equipment bodes well for the future of the plant, officials say.”
The Roanoke Times
3-16-17
Gummy bear giant Haribo to build first North American plant in Pleasant Prairie [Wis.] with 400 jobs.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
3-23-17
“Confectionery market expected to reach $232 billion by 2022.”
CSP
2-16-17
“A company that makes flavors and oils for the candy and baking industry will be expanding its Lansing headquarters. LorAnn Oils…plans to spend about $1.5 million to expand its office and production space. The roughly 7,000-square-foot expansion will add nine jobs.”
Lansing State Journal
2-3-17
“M&Ms maker Mars has announced it will invest $900m in its U.S. supply chain in addition to the recent $1bn investment aimed at boosting its domestic manufacturing capabilities.”
Confectionery News
2-2-17
“Nestlé to move U.S. headquarters to Arlington [Va.], bringing 750 jobs.”
Washington Post
2-1-17
“Smucker’s to build factory in Longmont [Colo.] and could spend up to $340 million.”
Denver Business Journal
1-31-17
“Sales of bakery snacks up 3.2%.”
Bakery and Snacks
1-25-17
“Lindt exceeds market expectations with 6% annual sales growth.”
Confectionery News
1-18-17
“Sweets specialist Hershey (NYSE: HSY) enjoyed market-beating gains of 16% last year, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence.”
Fox Business
1-12-17
“[Indiana] confectioners are catering not only to the area’s sweet tooth, but a growing demand nationally for locally-sourced, handcrafted food made with pure ingredients. They’re a growing part of an industry that generates $34.5 billion a year in sales nationally and sees an 8.5 percent uptick amid holiday parties, according to the National Confectioners Association.”
The Journal Gazette
1-1-17
“Leclerc Foods, a maker of cookies, snack bars and crackers, has unveiled plans to invest $49 million to establish its U.S. headquarters in Kingsport, Tenn., and expand production operations.”
Food Business News
12-12-17
“Seasonal chocolates are seeing more demand from consumers, according to Packaged Facts. Nearly 40 percent of shoppers bought from the segment this year, up from 27 percent in 2014.”
Candy & Snack Today
12-8-17
“The U.S. confectionery market is estimated to reach $35.86 billion in sales during 2016 and $38.19 billion by 2020, according to market research firm Technavio, Elmhurst, Ill.”
Food Business News
11-28-17
“The number of US households buying seasonal confections had increased by 74.4% during 2015, and by 73.6% last year, according to the most recent aggregated Nielsen data.”
Confectionery News
11-14-16
“Mount Franklin Foods, L.L.C., a North American manufacturer of confections and nut products, has acquired its first candy making facility in the United States… The company plans to invest $10 million in equipment for the Sumter, S.C., facility.”
Food Business News
11-8-16
“Barry Callebaut invests $20 million in U.S. West Coast factory. Barry Callebaut plans to up capacity at its American Canyon facility in California as it anticipates growing demand for chocolate and compound products.”
Confectionery News
11-4-16
“The National Confectioners Association (NCA) predicts Americans will spend around $2.7bn on Halloween candy this year, a 2.3% rise on last year. This would make 2016 a record year for Halloween candy spending.”
Confectionery News
10-12-16
“General Mills is increasing its cereal production in western New York. A $25 million expansion project includes the purchase of new packaging equipment, upgraded ingredient systems, and the addition of Corn Chex and Honey Nut Chex at the Buffalo plant.”
Associated Press
10-9-16
Premium chocolate sales have gained by 5% year-over-year.
Candy & Snack Today
9-16-16
Mondelez plans to spend $65 million to open or improve nine research and development labs across the globe. The centers will be located in key markets for the company like East Hanover, N.J.
Chicago Tribune
9-14-16
“Enjoy Life Foods pens a new [200,000 square-foot] manufacturing plant in Indiana.”
Food Business News
9-8-16
“Mars and Hershey performed strongly during the 52-week period ending Aug. 7, 2016. Hershey increased its sales of small-sized chocolates by 2.7% year-over-year, while Mars saw its small-sized chocolate dollar sales jump by 2.9%.”
Confectionery News
9-7-16
“At quick glance, 2016 appears to be a very good year, with total dollar sales during the six-week Easter period increasing 4.9 percent, according to NCA Sweet Insights… These results are a leap forward from the year prior, as the 2015 holiday grew dollar sales 1.8 percent.”
Candy & Snack Today
9-5-16
“A $2 million renovation of Ether M’s chocolate factory store in Nevada is expected to [be] complete in October this year.”
Confectionery News
9-1-16
“Wolfgang Candy plans multi-million-dollar factory [in Penn.] amid substantial growth.”
Confectionery News
8-26-16
“Nestle has expanded its Dublin, Ohio, quality assurance center, investing $31 million to upgrade the facility.”
Confectionery News
8-18-16
“One of York County’s best-known businesses is expanding into the southern part of the county. Wolfgang Candy Co. will open a new production facility by the end of the year in Loganville… Wolfgang expects to add about 30 additional employees at the Loganville plant.”
Central Penn Business Journal
8-10-16
“‘The overall $1.1 billion (measured retail sales) gummi segment is currently experiencing unprecedented growth,’ says Jill Manchester, senior vice-president of marketing and brand strategy for Ferrara Candy Co., Inc. She explains the sector had a compounded annual growth rate of 4.3 percent during the past three years.”
Candy and Snack Today
8-9-16
“During the next five years, the snack industry will see $35 billion in growth, reports Sally Lyons Wyatt, executive vice-president and practice leader, Information Resources, Inc.”
Candy and Snack Today
7-28-16
“Hershey’s sweet returns belong in your portfolio.”
The Street
7-28-16
“When Tom Scheiman was looking to expand B.A. Sweetie Candy Co. Inc., he was thinking big. His ambitions became reality this past year with the purchase of warehouse space where the store’s square footage doubled and its shelving capacity grew monumentally… The decision to go from 20,000 square feet and 12-foot ceilings to a 40,000 square foot building with 22-foot ceilings just down the road was predicated on Scheiman’s strong belief that candy sales are not slowing down.”
Candy and Snack Today
7-25-16
“New brands and private-label goodies are on track to boost the US chocolate market to $30 billion by 2021, according to a study from Research and Markets.”
Smart Brief
7-6-16
“Elmer Chocolate has completed a $40 million manufacturing expansion in Ponchatoula [La.] to make its chocolates, caramels, truffles and crèmes, along with its seasonal holiday Gold Brick, Heavenly Hash and Pecan Eggs… The 70,000-square-foot expansion…lifts employment to 230.”
Baton Rouge Advocate
6-23-16
“Production of Skittles, the colorful fruit-flavored treat, will expand to Yorkville [Ill.] starting next week thanks to a $50 million plant expansion sweetened by state and local incentives… There are 75 new workers at the facility as a result of the Skittles line addition, adding to the 300 employees that already made gum and mint brands like Juicy Fruit, Doublemint and Life Savers.”
Chicago Tribune
6-11-16
Although not quite as popular as chocolate, chewy candy still commanded close to $3.3 billion in dollar sales in the 52 weeks ending March 20, 2016, according to IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm. And chewy candy also charted a 6.5 percent increase in dollar sales from the previous year.”
CandyIndustry.com
5-25-16
“Dutra, CEO, president and founder of Kimmie Candy, accepted the President’s “E” Award in Washington, D.C., for his company’s work in the export market. It was among 123 U.S.-based companies that were recognized Monday for growing their export market for the past few years… Since 2008, after moving Kimmie Candy productions back to the U.S., Dutra said he’s seen his business’ export market expand.”
Las Vegas Review Journal
5-18-16
“Chocolatier Kelly Smith…is one of many specialty chocolate merchants taking root in Central Florida, with new shops in Maitland, Orlando and Disney Springs. That’s on top of a chocolate-themed restaurant slated for Universal CityWalk and other tourism destinations such as Chocolate Kingdom and World of Chocolate.”
Orlando Sentinel
5-12-16
“A new Mast Brothers Chocolate factory and shop will open in mid-April in downtown Los Angeles.”
Los Angeles Times
3-25-16
“According to the National Confectioners Association, 71 percent of Americans will hunt for real or candy-filled eggs. The NRF says almost $2.5 billion will be spent on sweets.”
MyFoxZone.com
3-24-16
“Even though Easter this year is shorter, a survey by the National Confectioners Association shows the retail sales of Easter candy will be nearly $2.4bn, increasing by 1.4% from 2015.”
Confectionery News
3-23-16
“The Barry Callebaut Group announced the completion of an expansion in its American Canyon, Calif. factory.”
CandyIndustry.com
3-16-16
“CandyWarehouse.com Inc…has purchased a warehouse in Charlotte, N.C., for an undisclosed price. The move allows the Southern California-based online retailer to reach most of the country—80%—in two days via standard ground shipping… CandyWarehouse.com has grown by an average rate of 11.71% over the past five years.”
InternetRetailer.com
3-3-16
“Candy sales for this coming Valentine’s Day are expected to increase 1.6 percent compared with the year prior, totaling some $1.1 billion, according to estimates from [the National Confectioners Association].”
Candy & Snack Today
2-5-16
“Krusinski Construction Company has completed a 250,000-square-foot expansion for Ferrara Candy Company in Bolingbrook, Illinois, adjacent to the firm’s existing 750,000-square-foot distribution facility.”
Real Estate Journal
2-3-16
“Retired Carol Stream cop opens candy shop in Bloomingdale [Ill.].”
Daily Herald
1-12-16
“Arizona-based Lulu’s Chocolate plans West Asheville [N.C.] location.”
Mountain Xpress
1-11-16
“Royal Candy Co. begins [N.J.] expansion. Company has doubled its office staff to accommodate increased orders.”
CandyIndustry.com
1-6-16