USA— Ferrero North America, part of the global confectionery company Ferrero is continuing its expansion in the United States, this time with plans to open an innovation center in Chicago’s historic Marshall Field and Company Building.
The new 45,000 square foot facility will bring together Ferrero’s R&D teams throughout the US and also house employees from Ferrero’s Old Post Office location representing Fannie May, Nutella Café, Keebler, Famous Amos, Mother’s and other cookie brands in the Ferrero portfolio.
According to the company, its goal for this space is to reflect Ferrero’s unique heritage and provide an opportunity to create greater synergies among our teams.
“This new space will foster the collaboration, creativity and culture that Ferrero is known for around the world,” says Todd Siwak, president, and chief business officer of Ferrero North America.
“I am proud of our growing footprint in Illinois and strongly believe that this innovation center will propel our teams forward to become leaders in the sweet packaged foods category.”
Ferrero said its move into the new facility will take place in two phases. As part of the first phase, all current Ferrero Chicago employees will move to a temporary office space while construction is completed on the final space. The final office at the Marshall Field & Co. building is set to be completed by next spring.
Chicago mayor Lori E. Lightfoot commented on Ferrero’s major investment in the city: “Chicago is a global destination for innovation and Ferrero will be well-placed here, benefitting from the city’s connectivity to the world and its strong network of companies driven by tech and innovation”.
The company is also building a chocolate processing facility and a new plant to make Kinder Bueno products in Bloomington, Illinois and is expanding capacity in its Brantford, Ontario plant. In the past few years, it has opened new distribution centers in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona and expanded its North American headquarters in Parsippany, New Jersey.
Ferrero has been aggressively building its U.S. corporate and manufacturing base in recent months. In mid-June, the company announced plans to invest US$214.4 million to expand its chocolate processing and product manufacturing plant in Bloomington, Illinois. The new line is scheduled to begin operating in 2024, according to the company.
The announcement followed an October 2021 groundbreaking on a $75 million chocolate processing facility also in Bloomington, Illinois, scheduled to open in 2023.
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