Ferrero adds 225 jobs at new 730k-square-foot distribution center

22-Nov-2019 - Last updated on 22-Nov-2019 at 11:00 GMT

Ferrero's supply chain SVP Luca Robbiano and North American lead Paul Chibe (left) joined the area's congressman, Daniel P. Mesuer, and DHL's Franklin Littleton (right) to celebrate the opening. (Photo courtesy of Ferrero)

The Pennsylvania facility, located outside the state’s capital Harrisburg, will help the confectioner manage its growing US sales of brands like Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Crunch.

Ferrero will work with DHL Supply Chain to manage the new space, which will eventually distribute other Ferrero brands, the company said. Its US headquarters in northern New Jersey are roughly 120 miles from Harrisburg.

About 75 people will begin working there this year, followed by an additional 150 by the end of 2020.

The area’s “commitment to economic growth was an integral part of the decision to select this location,” said Paul Chibe, president and CEO of Ferrero North America, adding that DHL was “the perfect partner whose best-in-class experience and technology will ensure this facility helps power Ferrero’s continued growth for years to come.”

DHL’s North American consumer chief Franklin Littleton joined the ribbon-cutting ceremony in Union Township, Pennsylvania, on November 18. A division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post DHL, which operates in more than 220 countries, will make its digital mark on this new site. Services will include shipment consolidation, packaging and inventory management using lithium-powered lifts to save both energy and money.

As part of Ferrero’s ongoing sustainability initiatives, the site also features an energy-saving HVAC system and will follow ‘zero waste-to-landfill’ practices.

“We were immediately attracted to Ferrero’s vision for future growth and believed our proven processes to consistently delivery predictability and cost certainty uniquely positioned us to help them increase capacity and achieve that vision,” said Littleton in a release.

He sees this modern site as integral to bringing speed and efficiency to Ferrero’s growing North American footprint.

Ferrero entered the US in 1969 with Tic Tac, followed by Ferrero Rocher after that iconic brand’s 1982 invention. The Italian company – with more than $12bn in annual global sales – has made its mark on the US candy market, buying Ferrara Candy in 2017 and Kellogg’s cookie and biscuit division just this summer.

Another of its beloved brands, Kinder, enjoyed resounding success in the US with its Surprise eggs, leading to this year’s stateside launch of Kinder Bueno, the chocolate, wafer and cream bar.