The Hershey Company recently announced the opening of its new R&D Center located in Johor, Malaysia. The investment is a core part of the company's strategy to drive international growth through innovation.

William Pritchett, Vice President of International Finance and Commercial, and Herjit Bhalla, Vice President, AEMEA & India, The Hershey Company were in Malaysia on 11 May for the official opening of Hershey's new R&D Center. This new facility will enable Hershey to quickly develop, test, and launch new products customised to the tastes of consumers across the region, and will become one of Hershey's largest R&D facilities outside the US.

Herjit Bhalla said, “The facility will act as a central hub for the company's operations across the AEMEA region within countries in the Asia Pacific including India and China, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Our new R&D Center reflects our ongoing commitment to understanding the preferences of consumers across the markets.”

The 10,400 sq.ft facility is a significant investment in the Malaysian market and will house R&D laboratories, a packaging development facility, and a sensory area, which will enable the company to partner with various innovation teams to taste-test and shortlist iconic products known and loved by consumers across the globe.

Philippe Zehnder, Senior Director R&D, International said, “This investment is just one example of how Hershey is continuing to reinvent the science of confectionery through internal and external innovation. The new facility will allow our talented teams to gain deeper insights into consumers by enabling them to conceptualise, test, and develop some of the most innovative products across the region.”

US-based The Hershey Company is a leading global snack and confectionery company with more than 100 brand names, like Hershey’s, Kit Kat® and Reese among others, available in approximately 80 countries around the world, and generating more than US$8.9 billion in annual revenue.