Jelly Bean Factory creates 25 new jobs to make choc-covered beans
Twenty-five new positions are being created at the Jelly Bean Factory in Blanchardstown.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny officially opened the company's new confectionary manufacturing facility this morning.
A new range of gourmet Belgian-chocolate-coated jelly beans will be produced at the site.
The Jelly Bean Factory managing director Peter Cullen said: "We expect a 50% growth in export sales in the next two years and an investment programme of €1m is planned as we grow our markets across Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.
"Twenty-five additional jobs will be generated to meet this growth, bringing total employment to 80 staff."
Mr Kenny said: "The Jelly Bean Factory is one of Ireland’s success stories, exporting 97% of its product to over 55 countries worldwide and contributing to Ireland’s growing global reputation as a provider of high quality food and drink products.
"I welcome the new investment in this facility which underlines the confidence of the company in Ireland and of the expertise of its workforce."
The confectionery market in Europe is worth €43.7bn.
Currently employing 55 full time staff, the company has annual turnover of €11 million, with offices in the US, UK and the Middle East.
In other jobs news, a new Boots Ireland store, set to open in The Blanchardstown Centre on Wednesday, will create 30 new full-time and part-time jobs, bringing the total number of staff employed at Boots Blanchardstown to 100.
In 1988, company founders, father and son Peter and Richard Cullen, identified a niche in the European confectionery market for a gourmet jelly bean brand.
Today, Aran Candy Ltd, trading as The Jelly Bean Factory, is the biggest producer of high quality gourmet jelly beans in Europe, producing only natural gourmet jelly beans that use natural flavours and added fruit juice in the fruit flavours, contain no artificial colours and are GMO free, gluten free, fat free as well Kosher and Halal compliant.
The company produces more than 12 million jelly beans a day. The Belgian-chocolate covered beans, which take 10 days to produce, will be available by Christmas.
