Jelly Belly to Close North Chicago Plant
The Jelly Belly plant in North Chicago is set to close in October, with the parent company, Ferrara Candy, planning to move production to a different facility.
The closure will impact 66 jobs, and the company aims to move these employees to other facilities in the Chicago area, reported the Chicago Sun-Times. Ferrara Candy acquired the jelly bean maker in 2023.
“Last week, Ferrara announced the difficult decision to end manufacturing operations at our Jelly Belly plant in North Chicago,” the candymaker told the outlet in a statement. “After careful review of the current volumes produced here, we are moving our manufacturing into another facility.” Jelly Belly’s other plant is in Fairfield, California, where the company is based.
Ferrara has 7,500 employees globally, including 2,200 in Illinois. The company recently opened an innovation lab in the former Marshall Field building downtown and has expanded its chocolate production facilities in downstate Bloomington.
