Relocation
Chicago mayor backs Ferrara’s plan to headquarter in city’s Old Post Office building
Ferrara Candy’s proposed move of its headquarters to the Old Post Office in downtown Chicago, has been given the backing of the city’s mayor, Rahm Emanuel.
The company expects to complete the move by late summer 2019, once it vacates its current headquarters in the western Illinois suburb of Oakwood Terrace.
Mayor Emanuel said: “Ferrara was a homegrown Chicago business. Today we are not just welcoming nearly 400 new jobs to Chicago, we are welcoming a great company with deep roots in Chicago back home … we are glad that a company that had been part of Chicago’s past will now be part of our city’s future.”
Ferrara was founded in 1908 when Salvatore Ferrara began selling candy-coated almonds from his bakery in Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood. Over the past century Ferrara Candy Company has become one of the fastest growing confections companies in the country, with a diverse portfolio of more than 25 brands, including SweeTARTS, Trolli, Brach’s, Black Forest and NERDS, along with iconic favorites like Lemonhead, Red Hots and Now and Later.
The company’s new headquarters will occupy approximately 77,000 square feet at Old Chicago Main Post Office at 433 W. Van Buren Street and allow Ferrara access to Chicago’s business community.
“As we planned our move downtown, we sought a workspace that could accommodate our continued growth and help us build a highly differentiated and meaningful employee experience that allows us to continue to attract, retain and inspire best-in-class talent,” said Todd Siwak, CEO of Ferrara Candy Company.
“The Old Post Office will be more than just a workspace – it will be a destination, and one that is consistent with the brand, culture and community we are building at Ferrara,” he said. “We appreciate Mayor Emanuel’s encouragement and the continued support from the City of Chicago as we prepare for this transition.”
