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Ferrero North America, part of confectionery giant Ferrero Group, has announced plans to invest $214.4 million to expand its chocolate processing and manufacturing plant in Bloomington, Illinois. The 169,000-square-foot expansion will be dedicated to the production of Kinder Bueno confectionery and will become one of the largest production lines built by Ferrero outside of Europe. The expansion will fuel the company's continued growth in North America while also creating up to 200 jobs over a four-year period within the community. In 2020, Fererro announced plans to invest $75 million in its Bloomington facility to build a chocolate production centre, which is set to be operational by 2023. Todd Siwak, president and chief business officer of Ferrero North America, said: "The investments we're making in Bloomington are fueling continued growth for Ferrero in North America and are also creating important job opportunities in the community. We are thrilled to continue growing here with the invaluable support of the city of Bloomington, McLean County and the state of Illinois." The expansion is expected to be operational by 2024.