The State of Illinois joined Ferrara, a major confection and sweet snacking company, and City of DeKalb officials to mark the opening of the company’s newest facility in Illinois. The new 1.6 million square-foot facility, which represents a $100 million investment in the community, brings forward 500 local jobs, and will enhance the company’s ability to serve customers and to meet evolving consumer demands.
The new distribution complex is located in the center of the Chicago West Business Park in DeKalb, Illinois. It builds on a large existing footprint the company has in the State of Illinois, with headquarters in Chicago, 20 locations across North America, over 6,000 employees—the majority based in Illinois.
To date, Ferrara has filled more than half of the 500 jobs the distribution complex estimated it would bring to the area and continues to hire in DeKalb and other locations across the state and country.
Ferrara worked in partnership with the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC), City administration and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to secure state incentives through the IDOT Economic Development Program, in addition to locating within the DeKalb County Enterprise Zone.
As an industry, confectionery plays an important role in the U.S. economy. In Illinois specifically it contributes more than 52,000 jobs including more than 8,000 manufacturing jobs across the state. To support the industry’s continued growth, Governor Pritzker has set forth a 5-year economic growth plan for the state, which highlights investments in high growth potential industries, including manufacturing, food processing, and more. Illinois is home to the nation’s second largest food processing cluster in the nation, with Ferrara part of a growing base of companies including Mondelez, Archer Daniels Midland, and Conagra in Chicago; and its own related company, Ferrero, in Bloomington.
Additionally – Ferrara is one of hundreds of companies announcing its plans to grow in Illinois last year, including several major manufacturing companies launching or growing major operations centers: Kimberly Clark, InnovaFeed, and more. With 38 HQs located across the state, Illinois has more Fortune 500 companies than any other state in the Midwest – and the highest number since 2001.
