The Swiss-based firm will invest $5.7m in the facility in fiscal 2014/15 and will be allowed to supply other customers in the Midwest region.
Barry Callebaut will supply liquid chocolate to World's Finest Chocolate, a premium gifting chocolate firm that uses Caribbean cocoa.
World's Finest Chocolate is a family-owned US chocolate company that has an annual chocolate capacity of around 91 metric tons and owns a cocoa farm in St. Lucia
Edmond Opler, CEO of World’s Finest Chocolate, said: “Our long-term agreement with the Barry Callebaut Group guarantees the supply of our 75-year-old family recipe continuing to be made in our facility from ‘bean-to-bar’. This partnership allows us to focus our energies on continued growth, manufacturing our finished goods and servicing our many customers.”
Barry Callebaut currently operates 11 factories in North America and expects the new Chicago plant to add 25,000 metric tons per year.
In fiscal 2013/14, the Americas accounted for 26% of Barry Callebaut’s global industrial chocolate volume. Barry Callebaut's revenues grew 8.8% in the Americas in fiscal 2014 compared to the prior year to CHF 1.3bn ($1.4bn).