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The Hershey Company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire two manufacturing plants from Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing. Weaver is a US-based popcorn producer and co-packer, and co-manufactures Hershey's SkinnyPop brand. Through the deal, Hershey will acquire Weaver's operations in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and Whitestown, Indiana. Jason Kashman, CEO at Weaver Popcorn, said: "Participating in the growth of SkinnyPop has been a rewarding experience for our team members. Hershey is acquiring two best-in-class popcorn manufacturing operations that will enable continued growth in volume and quality, with teams at each location that have an unrivalled expertise." Hershey intends for the acquisition to sustain growth for its SkinnyPop brand by strengthening its internal supply chain capabilities and its network of strategic suppliers and co-manufacturers. The company says that “these new facilities will enable more flexibility, agility and resiliency across its growing salty snacks supply chain network”. In 2021, Hershey spent around $1.2 billion on the acquisition of two pretzel manufacturers, Dot’s Pretzels and Pretzels Inc, to expand its salty snacks manufacturing capabilities. Jason Reiman, chief supply chain officer, The Hershey Company, said: "In response to consumer snacking trends, we continue to evolve our supply chain, making significant investments in the size, scale and capabilities of our network, improving resiliency while we continue to strengthen existing supplier relationships”. He continued: “Our acquisition of Weaver's two facilities is a perfect example of how we're investing to bring added capacity and strength across our portfolio of brands well into the future”. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.