Posted on 03/23/2017 2:10:15 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — German candymaker Haribo, which is known for its brightly colored gummy bears and bow tie-wearing gold bear mascot, plans to build its first North American factory in southeastern Wisconsin not far from Chicago, Gov. Scott Walker announced Thursday.
The facility is slated to be operational by 2020 and employ 400 people once fully up and running, Walker and economic development officials said. An exuberant Walker held up two bags of Haribo candy during a Capitol news conference, but declined to actually eat any because he said he gave up sweets for Lent.
The $242 million candymaking plant is to be built in Pleasant Prairie, which is near Kenosha and just 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Chicago.
"We couldn't be more pleased," Walker said. He credited the combination of available workers, tax incentives, nearby technical colleges and universities, and a global transportation network with luring Haribo when it "can be anywhere in the world, anywhere here in North America, anywhere in the country, anywhere in the Midwest."
Rick LaBerge, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Haribo of America Inc., said in a statement that choosing the site of the company's first North American factory was an "elaborate process" that took many years. Haribo opened its first North American sales office in Baltimore in 1982.
Walker said in a news release that the 500,000-square-foot facility will be one of the largest candy manufacturing sites in the U.S.
Mark Hogan, director of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp, said the state is still in the process of finalizing a package of tax incentives to lure the company and would not release details of the deal until that was completed.
The village of Pleasant Prairie bought more than 400 acres (160 hectares) for $37.5 million and is in the process of selling a portion of that to Haribo for the project, said village administrator Michael Pollocoff.
Haribo was founded in 1920 and has become a global candy juggernaut, known for its bright, teddy-bear shaped candy. The company, based in Ronn, Germany, says it produces 100 million gummy bears each day in its 16 current factories in Europe. The company employs 7,000 people worldwide and also makes a broad selection of other gummy treats, from licorice to fizzy cola to sour cherries.
"This is a sweet day for Kenosha County," said Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser.
Walker made the announcement after the state Department of Workforce Development said state unemployment was 3.7 percent in February, the lowest since November 2000.
Ach! Sorry...
My dad, also. Probably only a matter of time for me. :-/
My little group of special needs students love gummy bears! I use them as treats during the day for great behavior & paying attention. One little guy is a non verbal autistic student & he will take it & lick it once, make a face & throw them in the trashcan.
Hey...... my grandkids will love THIS news. haa. Nice Work, Gov. Walker.
23 replies and not one mention of the gummy bear song ?
The sugar free ones are the ones that give you “toilet troubles”
If you haven’t seen it, be sure to check out the hilarious user reviews (160) on Amazon for the 5 pound bag of sugar yfree Gummi Bears.
https://www.amazon.com/Haribo-Gummy-Candy-Sugarless-5-Pound/dp/B000EVQWKC
Examples:
“After reading all the other reviews, I would think you might die. In your bathroom. Alone. Out of Charmin toilet paper. Sad. A real Ernest Hemingway ending.”
“This is actually affordable for a complete bowel cleanse before a colonoscopy. Simply don’t eat the red ones. GI specialists frown upon red dye before the test.”
“The enormous increase in popularity of these little guys due to their ability to unleash the beasts of Satan on your bowels have made the seller increase price either A, because he knows he can and people will buy them or B, to purchase insurance for when someone sues him for killing one of their pets or loved ones...”
“The original gummy bears originated 1920 in Bonn, Germany... Was the sugar-free formula developed by Nazi scientists?”
Question: “Has anyone weighed them self before and after to see if they lost any weight? If so, how much did you lose?”
Answer: “1lb water, 7lbs of sanity, 4lbs of hope for humanity, and 9lb 8oz intestinal demon baby.”
Question: “Will I be facing criminal action for adding two 5lb bags to a vat of the spiciest chili known to man for a chili cook off?”
Answer: “The Department of Homeland Security, FBI, CIA, CDC, and FEMA are probably already on their way. MI-6 and the KGB are standing by.”
Perfect.
I hope the new factory makes those soft raspberry candies by the ton. I hate gummi-bears, but those raspberry things are Ambrosia.
Usually in the local stores about one week a year, I stock up, but they don’t last long.
You can retire next year Mom, and we can both devote the rest of our lives to gardening and making gummy bears in a factory setting! We’d ROCK those hairnets! Suh-weeet! :)
Nah. Making Gummy Bears are a Young Woman’s Game. *SMIRK*
I remember a number of years when a Rocket Pop was my lunch.
Mmmm! Frozen Sugar Water! Kept me going through Math & Science class, though. ;)
I’ll bet OUR idea of making it through the day never occurred to Mooch 0bama, LOL!
You get the Runs because they are poison.
Make sure they eat them before a long meeting.
OMG! You know the Baraboo Bar Bear Joke?
“The original gummy bears originated 1920 in Bonn, Germany... Was the sugar-free formula developed by Nazi scientists?”
LOL! Best one, IMHO!
I do not.
A bear walks into a bar in Baraboo. He orders shot after shot and gets raging drunk.
SO DRUNK, that he kills and eats one of the other patrons!
Mr. Bear gets woozy and sleepy, falls to the floor...and looks up at the Bartender asking, “What the heck is happening?”
The Bartender says, “Mr. Bear? That was a Bar-Bitch-You Ate!” (Barbiturate)
*SMIRK*
Hey, I got it.
You didn’t have to explain it to me!
*SNORT*
The RUNS are poison? Or is it the GUMMIES that are poison?
I shan’t rest until I know the answer!!
Oh, Yah! I fergot yer was from Minnessota-Ay! ;)
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