Continuing on its winning streak, the State of Illinois joined Ferrara this past week to mark the opening of the company’s newest facility in Illinois. The new 1.6 million square foot facility brings a $100 million investment in the community, along with 500 local jobs, and will enhance the company’s ability to serve customers and meet evolving consumer demands.

Ferrara, makers of popular brands Lemonheads, Now and Later, Nerds, and dozens of others maintains its headquarters in Chicago with thousands of employees across the state. The confectionary industry is also a major contributor to Illinois being the second-largest food processing cluster in the nation—an industry target under Governor JB Pritzker’s 5-year economic growth plan, which focuses on manufacturing, food processing, and infrastructure to drive economic growth across the state.

Ferrara is one of the 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.

Press Release