Hershey to expand operations in Augusta County

The Hershey Co. will invest $104 million to expand its manufacturing operations in Augusta County.

The 111,000-square-foot expansion is expected to add 65 jobs to the candy company’s Virginia payroll.

Hershey now employs more than 1,000 people in the commonwealth, with the majority of them working at the Stuarts Draft manufacturing facility in Augusta.

The expanded plant will make penuche and peanut cream, which will be distributed to other Hershey facilities on the East Coast.

Gov. Ralph Northam approved a $600,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Augusta with the project.

Northam also approved a $400,000 performance-based grant from the Virginia Investment Performance program, an incentive that encourages capital investment by existing Virginia employers.

In addition, the company is eligible to receive sales and use tax exemptions on new manufacturing equipment, as well as a Major Business Facilities job tax credits for new, full-time jobs created.

The Hershey, Pa.-based company is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. It has operated in Augusta for more than three decades.

The company has about 16,500 employees and annual sales of $7.8 billion.