Mondelez to create 80 jobs with $122.5M Henrico expansion

Chicago-based snack company Mondelez International Inc. will invest $122.5 million over three years to expand its bakery and build a sales fulfillment center in Henrico County, creating about 80 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Thursday.

“Mondelez International’s long-term investment in Central Virginia is a testament to the region’s top-notch talent and strong business climate,” Northam said in a statement. “We thank Mondelez for its long-term partnership, and we look forward to its continued success here in the commonwealth.”

The company, which owns the Oreo, Ritz, Wheat Thins and Chips Ahoy! brands, will expand its Richmond Biscuit Bakery by 68,000 square feet, enabling it to house an Oreo production line. The bakery employs more than 500 people.

Mondelez also will open a sales fulfillment center, which will create about 80 jobs. It is scheduled to open in 2022.

“We are excited about these further investments in our U.S. biscuit network and the opportunity to reaffirm and enhance the role of our Richmond manufacturing site, as well as our broader supply chain and business footprint here in Henrico County and in the commonwealth of Virginia,” Troy Ellis, Mondelez senior vice president of North America supply chain, said in a statement. “Our Richmond Biscuit Bakery has been a proud part of our company’s operations for nearly five decades and is geographically well-situated as the hub for our East Coast U.S. biscuit manufacturing. As we focus on leading the future of snacking, our presence in Henrico County continues to play an important part in us creating a best-in-class integrated supply chain which supports our U.S. business both now and for the future.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Henrico Development Authority to secure the investment. Northam approved a $1.8 million Virginia Investment Performance Grant, an incentive for existing companies to continue capital investment. Mondelez is eligible to receive benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, which is administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, as well as the Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit. The VEDP’s Virginia Jobs Investment Program will provide funding to support employee recruitment and training activities.