The new 500,000-square-foot facility, which is built on 74 acres of land at Humboldt Industrial Park, will handle ADM’s East Coast cocoa operations, including bean grinding, chocolate production and cake milling. The company began operations with between 20 and 25 employees.
“This is the type of competitive project that could easily have been located elsewhere, and without the aggressive economic development efforts of the Governor’s Action Team, it might have,” said Gov. Ed Rendell. “Instead, Pennsylvania will benefit from the large private investment and the hundreds of family-sustaining jobs that will be coming to Hazleton.”
ADM, headquartered in Decatur, Ill., is a global producer in cocoa processing. In addition to its new Hazleton facility, the company has other plants in North America, as well as in South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.
CAN DO Inc. was instrumental in helping ADM obtain a $4.6 million funding offer from the commonwealth’s Department of Community and Economic Development. The funding includes a $925,000 opportunity grant, $2.5 million in infrastructure development program funding, $1.05 million in job creation tax credits and $100,000 in job training assistance.
ADM is also eligible to apply for a $5.25 million loan through the Citizens Job Bank program, which offers low-interest-rate loans to companies that commit to creating or expanding jobs in Pennsylvania.
“CAN DO is proud to have played a role in the location of ADM’s newest cocoa processing plant,” said Kevin O’Donnell, president of the organization. “Our agency looks forward to providing ADM’s local management with support for years to come.”
The company’s project was coordinated through the Governor’s Action Team, economic development professionals who serve as a point-of-contact for businesses considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania.
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