Fact 1: A Brand With a Humble Beginning
The Hershey Company, recognized as one of the world's top 1000 brands, originated from a humble beginning. Milton S. Hershey, the founder of the company, was a bankrupt entrepreneur before he founded the Hershey Chocolate Company in 1894.
Fact 2: An Amusing Quarter of a lifetime Investment
Before he got it right, Milton had spent a quarter of his lifetime investing and failing in numerous businesses. His determination paid off eventually when he started Hershey, achieving international fame and acclaim.
Fact 3: An Enormous Amount of Cocoa Beans
The Hershey Company is the largest buyer of cocoa beans in North America. The brand utilizes over 400,000 metric tons of cocoa beans every year, to produce the yummy goodness that we all relish.
Fact 4: A Company With its own Town
Yes, that's right! The Hershey Company has an entire town named after it - Hershey, Pennsylvania. With streets named Chocolate and Cocoa Avenues, this town is indeed a chocolate lover's paradise!
Fact 5: A Legacy of Philanthropy
Milton Hershey, in 1909, established the Milton Hershey School with his wife Catherine. This is a private philanthropic (pre-K through 12th grade) boarding school, which he endowed with a large portion of his fortune.
Fact 6: A Pioneer in Advertising
The Hershey Company was one of the first to use print advertising and catchy slogans. Their earliest slogan was, "More sustaining than meat."
Fact 7: A World War II's Favorite
During World War II, Hershey produced a specially formulated chocolate bar, known as the D ration bar, for the U.S. Armed Forces. It was designed to withstand extreme weather conditions and thus became a staple ration for the soldiers.
Fact 8: A Factory Like No Other
Hershey’s main chocolate factory, when it was operational, was not just any factory. At one million square feet, it was considered the largest chocolate factory in the world.
Fact 9: Hershey Kisses Everywhere
If you think the production of Hershey’s Kisses is mere child's play, think again. The Hershey Company produces over 70 million Hershey’s Kisses every day.
Fact 10: A Love for Literature
Hershey's Kisses are so named because the machine that produces them appears to 'kiss' the conveyor belt during the creation process.
Fact 11: A Not-so-Chocolatey puntamento
The Hershey Company doesn't just deal in chocolates. They make a staggering variety of products, including breath mints, baking ingredients, milkshakes, and more.
Fact 12: A Paragon of Sustainability
The Hershey Company is committed to sustainability. By 2025, the company aims to source 100% certified sustainable cocoa for all of its chocolate product lines.
Fact 13: An Impressive Employee Count
The Hershey Company is a grand employer. With more than 16,000 full-time and 1,500 part-time employees, it stands as a major job provider worldwide.
Fact 14: Resilience in Tough Times
In the Great Depression era, the company remarkably did not lay off a single worker and kept producing chocolates, showcasing its resilience during tough economic times.
Fact 15: Hershey Park
Not everyone knows that the Hershey Company owns an amusement park, the Hershey Park, which began as a leisure park for its employees and has now evolved into a popular tourist attraction.
Fact 16: The Recipe Secrecy
Much like the Coca Cola Company, Hershey has kept its recipe for milk chocolate a closely guarded secret. The unique taste of Hershey’s chocolate is yet to be replicated by competitors.
Fact 17: Transforming Milk into Chocolate
The Hershey Company uses a whopping 170,000 gallons of milk every single day to produce its famous Hershey's milk chocolate.
Fact 18: Age is just a number
Believe it or not, the Hershey Company has been in operation for more than 125 years! Throughout its existence, Hershey’s brand power has only grown, solidifying it as a household name.
Fact 19: Nutrition Focus
The Hershey Company has been focusing heavily on producing healthier snacks. It aims to add products to its portfolio that derive at least half their calories from 'good stuff' such as whole grains, fruits, and nuts.
Fact 20: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Popularity
Among the many products offered by Hershey, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups dominates as the most popular product. Hershey makes enough Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in one year to feed one cup to everyone in the USA, with many left over.