Bean Counters Call It Quits, Jelly Belly Plant In North Chicago To Close In October

NORTH CHICAGO, IL — A North Chicago candy factory is closing up shop later this year, eliminating more than 60 jobs there.

The Jelly Belly Candy Company facility at 1501 Morrow Ave. will shut down, with layoffs there set to begin on Oct. 11, according to a state-mandated disclosure.

Ferrara Candy, the Chicago-based confectioner that purchased Jelly Belly last year, reported the closure to state commerce regulators last week in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification.

The WARN Act requires companies to give advance notice of certain mass layoffs and plant closures.

In a statement, Ferrara said the Jelly Belly workers are being offered transfers to jobs at the candy company’s five other Chicago area manufacturing facilities.

"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," it said.

Company officials said they decided to relocate their jelly bean manufacturing to another facility after "careful review of the current volumes produced" at the North Chicago plant.

Jelly Belly moved production of its signature jelly beans to Fairfield, California, in 2014, using its Lake County plant for private-label and contract production, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, which first reported the closure.

"We anticipate no impact to the Jelly Belly brand, our products or service to our customers," officials said. "Jelly Belly remains a critical component of our growth trajectory."