Ferrero USA, Inc., part of the global confectionery company Ferrero Group, is poised to open a new, 643,798-square-foot distribution center in Goodyear in mid-March and plans to add 50 local jobs within its first year of operation, the company said in a press release Feb. 18.

The facility, 3600 Cotton Lane, will serve as distribution site for Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Crunch. Over time, the facility will distribute other Ferrero brands, including Ferrero Rocher®, Nutella®, Tic Tac® and Kinder®, the release said.

“Ferrero is investing in our presence and business in the U.S.,” Ferrero North America President and CEO Paul Chibe said. “We’re introducing new brands and innovations, hiring top talent and opening state-of-the-art facilities like this new Goodyear distribution center, all of which will help us continue to fuel the confectionery category.”

Recently the company expanded its North American headquarters in New Jersey, opened a new distribution center in Pennsylvania, and assumed management of two manufacturing plants in Bloomington and Franklin Park, Illinois.

Local officials were excited about the sweet addition to the West Valley.

“I am very pleased to welcome Ferrero USA as we work together to bring the Ferrero passion for quality, creativity and innovation to life in Goodyear,” Mayor Georgia Lord said. “Ferrero’s new location in our city helps to build a stronger community and provides job opportunities for our residents and the West Valley.”

“We’re excited about the expansion of a global leader like Ferrero to Greater Phoenix,” Greater Phoenix Economic Council President and CEO Chris Camacho said. “With the continued growth in this part of the region, residents have new employment opportunities that are improving our regional economy and offering an enhanced quality of life.”

“The rapid development of our supply chain helps drive strong growth for Ferrero,” said Luca Robbiano, the company’s North America supply chain vice president. “Our new facilities in Pennsylvania and now Arizona represent important milestones in the expansion of our logistics capabilities in the market.”

DHL Supply Chain North America will provide warehouse services for the new distribution center, including shipment consolidation, packaging, distribution and inventory management.

Ferrero is a family-owned company that got its start more than 70 years ago as a bakery in Alba, Italy. It entered the U.S. market in 1969 with Tic Tac® mints, and is now the third-largest confectionery in the world, employing 3,000 people in seven offices, and six plants and warehouses in North America.

Brands include Ferrero Rocher®, Nutella®, Kinder® and Fannie May chocolates, as well as Butterfinger, Crunch, Baby Ruth, Raisinets and others.