(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – A chocolate maker’s plan to close its historic Chicago factory will result in more than 200 layoffs here, according to a published report.
Blommer Chocolate announced last week that it will close its River West production facility, which first opened in 1939, citing maintenance challenges. The company will invest $100 million in three remaining plants in the U.S. and Canada but also said it will retain a corporate presence at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart.
Crain’s Chicago Business reported Tuesday that Blommer has informed Illinois state government that the company will lay off 226 people beginning in late May. Blommer says it has more than 900 employees companywide.
The Chicago factory is known for emitting the smell of cocoa and was one of the last vestiges of the city’s once-robust identity as a candy-manufacturing hub.
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