Ferrero North America has announced plans to open an innovation centre in Chicago's Marshall Field and Company Building.
The new 4,180 square-metre facility will bring together Ferrero's R&D teams throughout the US and also house employees from Ferrero's Old Post Office location representing Fannie May, Nutella Café, Keebler, Famous Amos, Mother's, and other cookie brands in the Ferrero portfolio.
Ferrero Chicago Innovation Centre
The announcement is the latest in a series of milestones in Ferrero's growth in North America.
The company is building a chocolate processing facility and a new plant to make Kinder Bueno products in Bloomington, Illinois, and is expanding capacity in its Brantford plant in Ontario.
In the past few years, it has opened new distribution centres in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona and expanded its North American headquarters in Parsippany, New Jersey.
The new innovation centre, R&D lab and offices, located on the eighth and ninth floors at 24 East Washington, will bring together about 170 cross-functional team members to Chicago's Loop neighbourhood
"Our goal for this space is to reflect Ferrero's unique heritage and provide an opportunity to create greater synergies among our teams. This new space will foster the collaboration, creativity and culture that Ferrero is known for around the world," said Todd Siwak, president and chief business officer of Ferrero North America.
Company's First US Innovation Centre
Chicago Mayor, Lori E Lightfoot, said, Chicago is a global destination for innovation and Ferrero will be well-placed here, benefitting from the city's connectivity to the world and its strong network of companies driven by tech and innovation.
"I congratulate Ferrero on this move and welcome them to Chicago as I look forward to more companies realising Chicago's incredible potential."
The move will take place over two phases, with all current Ferrero Chicago employees moving to a temporary office space while construction is completed on the final space.
The final office at the Marshall Field & Co. building is set to be completed by the spring of 2023.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest A-Brands news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
