Chocolate processing at the Reese campus
Hershey has opened a 250,000-square-foot chocolate processing plant in Hershey, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The Reese Chocolate Processing facility took nearly three years to complete and will supply chocolate for Reese’s, Kit Kat and Hershey’s products. Named after brand founder H.B. Reese, it is the company’s first new manufacturing plant in its hometown in more than 30 years. The plant opening.
The factory occupies a 55-acre site within the existing Reese’s campus. Nearly 100 full-time employees work there, with further positions expected as operations expand. The project belongs to a multi-year, $1 billion investment in Hershey’s supply-chain network. Will Bonifant, vice president of supply-chain strategy and manufacturing, linked the company’s investments to faster production, increased capacity and workforce development.
The earlier network expansion plan
Hershey’s plans in November 2022 extended across several manufacturing sites. The company scheduled construction of the chocolate facility to begin in the middle of that month and initially planned an opening in early 2024. The project remained subject to final planning approvals. Hershey also planned changes elsewhere in its North American network:
- the addition of 13 production lines;
- upgrades to 11 existing production lines;
- a West Hershey line expansion for seasonal snack-size packages.
The investment strategy combined expansion of existing factories with new production capabilities for core brands. Bonifant identified collaboration with retail partners and suppliers as part of the programme. The West Hershey project was intended to support seasonal demand, alongside the separate new chocolate-processing facility. The November 2022 plans.
Capacity investment for SkinnyPop
Hershey pursued additional manufacturing capacity for salty snacks through an agreement announced on 17th April 2023. The company agreed to acquire Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing’s operations in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Whitestown, Indiana. Weaver was already a co-manufacturer of Hershey’s SkinnyPop brand. The proposed acquisition was intended to strengthen internal supply capabilities while retaining a network of strategic suppliers and co-manufacturers. At announcement, the transaction required customary regulatory approvals; the financing plan combined available cash with short-term borrowing.
Chief supply-chain officer Jason Reiman described the two-factory acquisition as an investment in the network’s size, scale and capabilities. He also emphasised maintaining existing supplier relationships. Weaver Popcorn chief executive Jason Kashman pointed to the manufacturing teams’ experience at the two locations. These were the companies’ expectations for the transaction when it was announced, alongside their existing supply relationship for SkinnyPop. The manufacturing agreement.
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