Strong workforce assists The Hershey Company in making $60 million investment in Greater Hazleton facility

The next time you break off a piece of a Kit Kat bar, remember that, if you purchased it in the U.S., the little piece of candy you’re holding was produced by The Hershey Company manufacturing team in the Humboldt Industrial Park in Greater Hazleton.

And it was that manufacturing team that Hershey’s U.S. President Todd Tillemans praised when the company broke ground earlier this year on a $60 million expansion project at the Humboldt facility that’s centered around its Kit Kat line. All the Kit Kats that are sold in the U.S. are produced at the Hazle Township plant.

Tillemans called the project “a significant expansion” and spoke about the passionate workforce at Hershey’s Greater Hazleton facility. “Our reputation in the marketplace is because of the consistency our manufacturing team delivers day in and day out. Hershey’s Hazleton employees show their pride in making one of Hershey’s best-loved brands. As the leader of Hershey’s U.S. business, I’m proud to say that our $60 million investment in Kit Kat lines at our Hazle Township plant is a vote of confidence in Hershey’s future, our people and our growth,” he said.

The expansion project will increase the facility’s size by six percent and is expected to add more than 100 new positions to Hershey’s current roster of 450 employees. The new line, which will increase the facility’s Kit Kat production capacity by 36 percent, is expected to be in operation by the end of 2018.

Tillemans added that the company is proud to be creating these manufacturing jobs at a facility that has been instrumental to the company’s growth since it first opened in Humboldt in 1973.

“Our plant here in Hazle Township has long been a high value and high-performing facility. It was clear our investment should be made here. It’s because of the dedication of the people here in the Hazleton area that we have fuel to make this investment and propel Hershey into the future,” he said.

State Senator John Yudichak, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony, thanked Hershey for increasing its investment in manufacturing in the state and spoke about the impact it will have on the local community.

“We want to create these good manufacturing jobs but we can only do it if we have a company like Hershey that recognizes when you invest your hard-earned capital in Pennsylvania workers, it always pays dividends and it’s paying dividends now for Greater Hazleton,” Yudichak said.

CAN DO President Kevin O’Donnell said he’s thrilled to see such a longtime park tenant making such a big investment in Greater Hazleton.

“We’re proud that the Hershey Company shares CAN DO’s commitment of bringing quality, family sustaining, manufacturing jobs to Greater Hazleton. An investment of this magnitude speaks volumes about the dedicated workforce we have here in the Hazleton area that is helping to make this possible. The direct access the Humboldt facility has to Interstate 81 has also been a vital component of Hershey’s success in our area.”