Ferrero Group is investing $445 million to expand the company’s production facility in Brantford, Ont. The upgraded facility will support the production of new products, including Ferrero’s first launch of a new product outside of Europe, and create 500 new jobs in Brantford. “I’m thrilled to welcome this historic investment to Ontario, along with hundreds of new, good-paying jobs for Ontario workers,” said Premier Doug Ford. “At a time of global economic uncertainty, our government is going to keep working to make Ontario the most stable and attractive place to invest and do business, so we can continue welcoming new, job-creating investments like the one we are celebrating today. No matter what, we’ll always have the backs of our world-class workers.” Ferrero is the largest employer in the City of Brantford. This latest investment will expand their provincial workforce to over 1,800 employees. By leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT) and advanced robotics to digitize production and improve productivity, the investment will see Ferrero’s production capabilities and capacity expand considerably, allowing for the launch of Ferrero Rocher chocolate squares in Ontario. Ferrero’s expansion will also support the development of new production lines for products, such as Nutella Biscuits, that had previously never been manufactured beyond its European locations. In support of this investment, Ontario is providing $36 million in funding through the Invest Ontario Fund. “This is a remarkable win for Brantford and all of Ontario,” said Khawar Nasim, CEO of Invest Ontario. “Ferrero’s expansion is a clear sign of investor confidence in the talent, supply chain strength and growth opportunities that Ontario offers. We’re proud to support this project to bring good jobs to our economy, create new business for local suppliers and make Ontario a more competitive player in the food manufacturing space.”