CHICAGO — Ferrero North America has opened its new Innovation Center and North America R&D Labs in Chicago. The 45,000-square-foot project, located in the historic Marshall Field & Co. building, brings together Ferrero’s R&D teams from throughout the U.S. and houses teams working on Keebler, Famous Amos, Mother’s, Fannie May and other brands. There are more than 150 employees. The investment further expands Ferrero’s footprint in Illinois. The company manufactures Butterfinger and Baby Ruth products at its plant in Franklin Park, and Keebler products on 110th Street in Chicago. The Ferrero manufacturing campus in Bloomington produces Crunch, 100 Grand and other products, and will soon include a new chocolate processing facility and a new Kinder Bueno production facility.
Brookfield Properties operates the Marshall Field building, which is designated as a Chicago Landmark, a National Historic Landmark and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978. In 2021, Brookfield completed a major restoration and overhaul to convert the former department store into a modern office building. The property rises seven stories and totals 636,000 square feet.