Bonumose expands in Albemarle County after partnership with Hershey, creating 64 new jobs
Sixty-four new jobs will be coming to Albemarle County as Bonumose Inc. expands its facility thanks to a recent partnership with the Hershey Company. The rare sugar company plans to invest $27.7 million to the county.
Bonumose will relocate into a 36,000 square feet space of the former State Farm building to research and develop reduced or zero sugar chocolate products from its original North Fork location.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the growth of Bonumose as it expands production and collaborates with other valued partners in the Commonwealth,” said Governor Ralph Northam. “This innovative company continues to advance our food and beverage processing industries. We look forward to a long and productive partnership with the company.”
The company “developed and patented the methods” for the production of high-purity rare sugars, such as tagatose and allulose — which can only be found in some fruits and grains. Earlier this year, the Hershey Company, based out of Pennsylvania, announced it would grow its sweet offerings using Bonumose’s products.
“The new Bonumose facility represents a big next step in our commitment to providing consumers better-for-you confection that is both affordable and accessible,” said The Hershey Company Chief Development Officer Kris Meulen. “By bringing together the necessary expertise, capabilities, and resources all under one roof, scaling transformative uses of rare sugar alternatives will become a reality–helping to create new jobs and to reach new consumers.”
Bonumose Inc. was founded in 2016 in Charlottesville and is supported by investors and collaborators globally. According to the rare sugar company, Bonumose uses the starch byproduct leftover from its supply chain partners’ food production to develop the sugar.
“Virginia, and more specifically, Albemarle County, has been important to Bonumose’s growth to date,” said Bonumose Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Ed Rogers. “Several of our employees have been affiliated with the University of Virginia. The Commonwealth’s leading research universities, thriving food production industry, natural beauty, and quality of life in Central Virginia are second-to-none. We are blessed with a skilled workforce in this region and can also recruit talented individuals from anywhere in the world. Access to the world-class Port of Virginia was a consideration, too. Due to Bonumose’s business partners in other states and other countries, we have had opportunities to grow outside Virginia, but we are happy with our choice to deepen our roots here at home.”
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership partnered with Albemarle County and the Central Virginia Partnership to secure the project from Florida, Idaho and North Dakota.
See full press release here