Financed by a group of private investors, the factory began production in 2006 and is now fully operational.

Most of the production is secured by a long-term supply agreement FPI has for delivery of up to 16,000 metric tons of cocoa liquor and up to 10,000 metric tons of cocoa powder and butter.

Barry Callebaut intends to increase the production capacity of the factory to 50,000 metric tons (110 million lbs.) within the next three years to meet its own growing needs for semi-finished products, as well as to supply third-party customers. The expansion will include pressing, grinding and deodorizing equipment to make cocoa butter and cocoa powder. The total investment including the expansion will be $51 million USD. The cocoa-processing factory in Eddystone will allow Barry Callebaut to further optimize its factory network and supply chain in North America.

“We are investing in cocoa operations because the taste and the quality of chocolate are already defined at this early processing stage,” said Patrick De Maeseneire, C.E.O., Barry Callebaut. “We need a modern site for the production of semi-finished products, such as cocoa liquor, cocoa butter and cocoa powder, in the United States to keep up with the current and future expectations of our customers, especially in the high-end quality segment, as well as our own internal needs.”