Hershey — in an effort to drive international growth through innovation — has opened a new research and development center in Johor, Malaysia.
William Pritchett, vice president of international finance and commercial, and Herjit Bhalla, vice president of AEMEA & India for The Hershey Co., were in Malaysia on May 11 for the official opening of Hershey’s new research and development center. This new facility will enable Hershey to quickly develop, test and launch new products customized to the tastes of consumers across the region and will become one of Hershey’s largest research and development facilities outside of the U.S.
“The facility will act as a central hub for the company’s operations across the AEMEA region within countries in the Asia Pacific including India and China, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa”, said Bhalla. “Our new R&D center reflects our ongoing commitment to understanding the preferences of consumers across the markets.”
The 10,400-square-foot facility is a significant investment in the Malaysian market and will house research and development laboratories, a packaging development facility and a sensory area, which will enable the company to partner with various innovation teams to taste-test and shortlist iconic products.
“This investment is just one example of how Hershey is continuing to reinvent the science of confectionery through internal and external innovation,” said Philippe Zehnder, senior director of research and development, international. “The new facility will allow our talented teams to gain deeper insights into consumers by enabling them to conceptualize, test and develop some of the most innovative products across the region.”
The Hershey Co. is headquartered in Hershey, Pa., and has approximately 19,000 employees around the world. The company has more than 100 brand names in approximately 80 countries around the world that drive more than $8.9 billion in annual revenues, including such iconic brand names as Hershey’s, Reese’s, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher and Ice Breakers, as well as fast-growing salty snacks including SkinnyPop, Pirate’s Booty and Dot’s Pretzels.
