Hurricane Sandy forces Mondelez and Hershey closures

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Mondelez International and Hershey have been forced to close facilities due to Hurricane Sandy.

The East coast of America has been battered by one of the fiercest Atlantic storms in history and the two confectionery giants are among businesses forced to shut down for safety reasons.

Jeff Beckman from Hershey told ConfectioneryNews.com yesterday that offices and facilities throughout Pennsylvania are closed due to the Hurricane which is still passing through the area.

Valérie Moens, associate director of corporate external communications at Mondelez International, said the firm will continue to monitor the progress and impact of the storm and resulting weather.

Facility managers at each site are responsible for individual decisions and plans to ensure the safety of employees and business continuity, Moens said.

“These plans include proactively doing such things as stocking fuel for generators, trimming tree branches that could bring down power lines and gathering flashlights and batteries,”​ she said.

On Monday and Tuesday, the firm took precautionary measures and shut down its HQ in East Hanover, New Jersey and the confectionery Research & Development center in Whippany. Manufacturing facilities in Fair Lawn, NJ and Philadelphia alsong with several distribution centers were also closed.

“After it [the hurricane] has passed, key managers will evaluate the impact, if any, to their respective sites to ensure they are ready and safe to be reopened for business as usual,”​ Moens said.