Ferrara Candy Company success storySouth Carolina’s sweet investment
Global sugar confections manufacturer Ferrara Candy Company announced its first South Carolina operation in late spring of 2026. With an investment of$675 million and 1,000 new jobs over the next 10 years, Ferrara plans to construct a new 750,000-square-foot facility beginning production in 2029. Ferrara is the maker of well-known US candy brands, NERDS®, SweeTARTS®, Laffy Taffy®, Brach’s® and Jelly Belly®.
Building scalability in South Carolina
Headquartered in Chicago for 118 years, Ferrara operates a network of more than 30 facilities worldwide and employs more than 9,400 people. The company’s investment in SC will support Ferrara’s high level of consumer demand and strengthen its position as a leader in sugar confections. To support this investment, the Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved job development credits related to the project. To offset the cost of acquiring the site, site improvement and related infrastructure, the State Fiscal Accountability Authority authorized the issuance of General Obligation State Economic Development Bonds in a principal amount not exceeding $85 million.
“As we evaluated potential locations, Orangeburg stood out not only because of an ideal site, but also for the collaboration between the state, the county, the city and utilities. We saw much more than what looked good on paper as with each visit to Orangeburg, we could see evidence of a community with a vision of a strong future that was investing in itself.”
Marco Capurso Chief Executive Officer, Ferrara
Company backgrounder
Looking for success for your business?
Look no further. Contact the SC Commerce team.