CHICAGO -- Ferrara Candy Co. is on the brink of moving its Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based facility to a brand-new 20-story office tower in Chicago’s West Loop, according to a report from Crain’s Chicago Business. The confectionery company said it is looking to lease about 60,000 square feet of the vacant building.
Ferrara has operated from its Oakbrook Terrace location since 2012.
The move comes months after Ferrara was bought out by Alba, Italy-based global confectionery company The Ferrero Group, which also acquired Nestle’s U.S. confectionery business in January 2018. The latter deal integrated Nestle’s operations under Ferrara, adding more than 20 brands to the Illinois confectionery’s repertoire, such as Butterfinger, Baby Ruth, Crunch, SweeTarts and Nerds. Ferrara and Arlington, Va.-based Nestle USA debuted their combined sales force at this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago.
Regarding the facility, Ferrara said in a statement provided to Crain's that it's looking to "design and build a best-in-class space focused as much on our employees' experience as it is on continuing our strong forward momentum."
"As one of the largest confections companies in the U.S., our business continues to grow, and we need a more adaptive and flexible workspace that will meet the demands of our growing team," Mike Goldwasser, chief human resources officer for Ferrara, said in the statement. "Relocating to the city of Chicago allows us to build a more open, collaborative and dynamic environment that a modern workforce expects, while providing access and appeal to a broader employee demographic."
Ferrara isn’t the only company in recent memory to have moved from the Chicago suburbs to downtown. Others included McDonald's, Kraft Heinz, Hillshire Brands and Peapod.
Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based Ferrara Candy manufactures branded and private-label confections. Its brands include Black Forest Organic Gummies, Trolli, Red Hots, Lemonheads, Laffy Taffy and Jujyfruits—all of which are available in convenience stores nationwide. The company was founded more than 100 years ago in Chicago’s Little Italy neighborhood.
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