German company HARIBO Gummy Candy, famous for their classic gummy bears, will open its first U.S. factory in House Speaker Paul Ryan’s district.
The company, one of the largest candy companies in the world, plans to build a $243 million factory in the southeastern Wisconsin town of Pleasant Prairie in 2020, potentially creating 400 jobs, GOP Gov. Scott Walker announced Thursday.
“I want to thank HARIBO for its decision to establish its North American manufacturing operations in Kenosha County, and I applaud the company for its commitment to Wisconsin,” Walker said in a statement.
HARIBO has 16 factories in Europe that produce an average of 100 million gummy bears every day, CBS News reports. The manufacturing plant would be the third-largest candy factory in the U.S. at 500,000 square feet, Walker said.
Pleased to announce Haribo Candy Products has chosen WI as the location for their North American Headquarters – creating 400 WI jobs! pic.twitter.com/2jTg0ZwELJ
— Governor Walker (@GovWalker) March 23, 2017
“This is a sweet day for Kenosha County,” Jim Kreuser, Kenosha County executive, said. “HARIBO’S decision to invest in our community and make this the location for their first U.S. production facility will have a tremendous impact on our county and our state.”
HARIBO had been seeking a location for a U.S. factory for years, and was “very excited to announce this important decision today,” Rick LaBerge, executive vice president at HARIBO of America Inc.
Wisconsin offered HARIBO a significant tax incentive to build a factory in Kenosha County, but the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation won’t release the details until the board of directors officially approves the deal, FOX 6 reported.
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