Hershey commits $1 M for disposable facemasks production

Converting operations to support communities is latest step in the company’s COVID-19 response

The Hershey Company has announced that it is committing $1 million to acquire, install and staff a new manufacturing line dedicated to the production of facemasks. The new line, which will be capable of producing up to 45,000 masks per day, will become operational near the end of May.

Leveraging its internal engineering capabilities, and its relationships with equipment manufacturer JR Automation and General Motors, who is making similar masks, the company is moving quickly to address the nationwide shortage of protective equipment.

Converting operations to address a critical need is the latest step in the company’s ongoing efforts to support communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.  To date, Hershey has donated millions in cash and product to benefit community safety net organizations and a variety of healthcare organizations, while simultaneously supporting employee safety and wellbeing.

As a food manufacturer, Hershey is an important link in the broader food supply chain and contributes to the economic wellbeing of thousands of people, particularly farmers and other food raw material suppliers.  The company is working to help provide economic stability to its partners, suppliers and communities by creating jobs in manufacturing and sales and working across the supply chain with our partners and suppliers.