The Hershey Co. is investing $104 million into an 111,000-sq.-ft. expansion of its factory in northern Virginia.
The factory, located in Augusta County, will produce penuche and peanut cream to be distributed to other Hershey facilities on the East Coast. The expansion is expected to add 65 jobs.
“For more than 30 years, The Hershey Co. has continued to grow in Augusta County, creating hundreds of jobs and setting the bar for a thriving food and beverage industry cluster in the Shenandoah Valley,” said Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. “The company’s economic contribution to Virginia cannot be overstated, and we look forward to many more years of success for Hershey with this major investment and the establishment of a new Roasting Center of Excellence.”
Hershey employs more than 1,000 people in Virginia, with the majority of those jobs located at the manufacturing facility in Augusta County.
“The Commonwealth of Virginia and Augusta County have been part of Hershey’s success for more than 35 years,” said Susanna Zhu, v.p., U.S. supply chain, The Hershey Co. “We are pleased to build on this partnership with our plant expansion and continue to make Stuarts Draft a key to delighting consumers across the United States and around the world with our iconic products.”
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Augusta County and the Shenandoah Valley Partnership to secure the project for Virginia. Northam approved a $600,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund and a $400,000 performance-based grant from the Virginia Investment Performance program. Hershey is eligible to receive sales and use tax exemptions on manufacturing equipment, as well as a Major Business Facilities job tax credit for new, full-time jobs created.
