The Hershey Company acquires two popcorn plants
The Hershey Company has agreed to acquire two popcorn manufacturing plants from Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing, a co-manufacturer of Hershey’s SkinnyPop brand.
According to Hershey, the two plants in Bethlehem, Pa., and Whitestown, Ind., will help the company continue to grow its SkinnyPop brand through a robust internal supply chain and a network of suppliers and co-manufacturers.
"Hershey has experienced tremendous growth over the past few years, stemming from a combination of successful strategy execution and an increase in more snacking occasions among consumers," said Kristen Riggs, president of salty snacks for The Hershey Company. "In fact, SkinnyPop has been number one in retail sales growth for ready-to-eat popcorn over the last three years."
Hershey is well known for its iconic line-up of sweet snacks including Reese’s, but has made strides to expand its portfolio of salty snacks. The company acquired Pretzels, Inc. a year ago. This latest acquisition is another move that Hershey reports will “enable more flexibility, agility and resiliency across its growing salty snacks supply chain network.”
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"In response to consumer snacking trends, we continue to evolve our supply chain, making significant investments in the size, scale and capabilities of our network, improving resiliency while we continue to strengthen existing supplier relationships," said Jason Reiman, chief supply chain officer at The Hershey Company. "Our acquisition of Weaver's two facilities is a perfect example of how we're investing to bring added capacity and strength across our portfolio of brands well into the future."
Weaver itself has a strong history in manufacturing. The family-owned and operated company began manufacturing popcorn more than 90 years ago with a vast portfolio of clients around the globe.
"Participating in the growth of SkinnyPop has been a rewarding experience for our team members," remarked Jason Kashman, CEO, Weaver Popcorn. "Hershey is acquiring two best-in-class popcorn manufacturing operations that will enable continued growth in volume and quality, with teams at each location that have an unrivaled expertise."
