Goodbye Jelly Belly

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. — Jelly Belly, the once family-owned candy company known for its signature jelly beans has closed its North Chicago Plant.

The company announced the planned closure of the plant in the north suburbs in early July, adding that 66 layoffs were also expected.

The announcement came after Jelly Belly was acquired by the Chicago-based Ferrara Candy Company in October of 2023.

In a statement shared by Ferrara Candy on Friday, the company confirmed that operations at the facility would cease at end of the business day on Friday.

“As planned, all remaining North Chicago plant operations will cease at the close of business today with final product shipments through next week,” a company spokesperson said.

When Ferrara Candy had initially announced the closure, a spokesperson said that it would be closing the plant and moving manufacturing into another facility.

“Last week, Ferrara announced the difficult decision to end manufacturing operations at our Jelly Belly plant in North Chicago, Illinois. After careful review of the current volumes produced here, we are moving our manufacturing into another facility, and the final possible day of plant production will be October 11,” a spokesperson for Ferrara Candy said.

In the statement, officials said that all 66 employees impacted by the closure were offered opportunities to move to open roles in Ferrara Candy’s five other manufacturing facilities in Chicagoland.

“We are focused on helping our North Chicago team members. For our 66 impacted employees, we are hopeful they will stay with Ferrara in different positions and are offering the opportunity to move to open roles in our five other Chicagoland manufacturing facilities,” a spokesperson said.

Ferrara Candy also has a corporate office in the Old Post Office downtown.

Jelly Belly operates manufacturing facilities in Fairfield, California as well as Rayong, Thailand. It also operated a distribution and visitor center in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin , that closed in 2020.

The Jelly Belly Candy Company, formerly known as the Herman Goelitz Candy Company and Goelitz Confectionery Company, was founded by Gustav Goelitz in Belleville, Illinois, in 1869. It has roots in Chicago, having opened a factory in the city in 1904 before relocating to North Chicago in 1913.

The company began producing its signature jelly beans in 1976 and changed its name to Jelly Belly Candy Company in 2001.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.