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KUALA LUMPUR: The Hershey Co’s RM816 million manufacturing plant in Johor is expected to generate up to 400 jobs for Malaysians in the next two years.
The American confectionery company, which makes products under the Hershey’s, Reese’s, Hershey’s Kisses, Hershey’s Bliss, Hershey’s Special Dark, Kit Kat, Twizzlers, Jolly Rancher and Ice Breakers brands, said in a statement yesterday that it will hire nearly 100 people “to fill a range of key positions that are critical to the plant’s operations”.
Hershey will be looking to draw from the Malaysian talent pool its senior management team, engineers, maintenance technicians and skilled specialists for its state-of-the-art plant in Johor. Another 300 manufacturing roles are expected to become available in 2015 when construction of the manufacturing plant is completed.
Construction for the plant, in Johor’s Senai industrial district, began in October last year. It represents Hershey’s single largest investment in Asia.
Employees at the plant will be trained to work with some of the latest manufacturing technologies as Hershey will be using state-of-the-art candy-making equipment.
“Hershey will provide employees with thorough training and development programmes, including classroom and online learning simulations,” the company said. It also plans to partner local universities to train and develop its employees.
Hershey has appointed Subas Visvalingam as the facility’s site director to lead the day-to-day operations. Subas joined Hershey in 2011 and has 20 years of manufacturing leadership experience.
This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on February 25, 2014.
