Hershey Co. says it is committing $1 million to set up a new manufacturing line that will make facemasks, as the snack marketer looks for a way to support efforts during the coronavirus pandemic.
The maker of brands including Hershey chocolate bars, Reese’s peanut butter cups, Twizzlers and Pirate’s Booty says the new line should be up and running near the end of May. The line will be capable of producing up to 45,000 masks per day, Hershey said.
The move makes Hershey the latest marketer to revamp its production in order to help out during the pandemic. In March, for example, Ford said it was teaming up with 3M and GE Healthcare to make respirators and ventilators, respectively. And General Mills earlier this month said several of its plants that usually support its foodservice business, which sells to schools and restaurants, are now making food that is being sent directly to Feeding America.
“Supporting our communities in difficult times is part of our legacy, and an important value that our current employees share,” Hershey President and CEO Michele Buck said in a statement. “From the building projects that created local jobs during the Great Depression, to producing military rations during World War II, we take great pride in making a difference where we can.”