BERLIN, March 24 (Xinhua) -- HARIBO is set to build their first factory in North America after successfully establishing their American branch - HARIBO of America Inc. The factory is set to open in 2020 in the small U.S. town of Pleasant Prairie.
The decision to open a factory in America is based on the company currently being the quickest growing confectionary company in America, HARIBO stated.
The German confectionary giant is the largest distributor of fruit gummies in the world and has its headquarters in Bonn. The company has 16 other manufacturing locations and has nearly 7,000 employees worldwide.
The move to the United States was decided several years ago, added HARIBO of America inc. Vice President and COO Rick LaBerge, however a large amount of time was spent rigorously searching for and testing many locations to choose the perfect U.S base for their production site.
During a capitol news conference on Thursday, the delighted Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, held up two HARIBO packets as he announced that the decision will mean 400 new local jobs and is expected to bring approximately one quarter of a billion U.S. dollars into the area.
The HARIBO name was derived from the first letters of its founder, Hans Riegel and the city of Bonn, where the company was first created in 1920. The iconic golden bears were the first in the gummy line, the company subsequently branched out into a variety of gummy based candy and produces 100 million gummy treats per day.
The golden bears however are still produced on mass. The number of golden bears HARIBO produces in one year could circle the world four times over in chain formation.
