The Hershey Company is an American multinational chocolate and chocolate-related grocery products manufacturer headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
As one of the world’s largest confectionary companies, with operations in over sixty countries and more than 14,000 employees.
Some of the company’s most notable brands include: Hershey’s, Reese’s, Hershey’s Kisses, Hershey’s Bliss, Hershey’s Special Dark, Kit Kat, Twizzlers, Jolly Rancher and Ice Breakers.
It is one of the oldest chocolate companies in the US and the Hershey chocolate bar considered to be somewhat of a national icon.
The company was founded by Milton Hershey in 1894 as the Hershey Chocolate Company.
The first Hershey chocolate bar was introduced in 1900 and the “Hershey’s Kisses” chocolate line was introduced seven years later. Initially, the chocolates were individually wrapped by hand in squares of foil.
The Hershey Company now produces over 80 million candies every day at its eight manufacturing locations.
Its primary markets are the US, Mexico, Brazil, China, India, Korea, and Japan.
Overview
- President and CEO: John P. Bilbrey
- Industry: Confectionary
- Type: Public
- Listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
- NYSE stock symbol: HSY
- S&P 500 Component
- Net sales: $7,146,079 thousand USD (2013)
- Earnings per share: $3.76 USD (2013)
- Total assets: $5,357,488 thousand USD (2013)
- Founded: 1894
- Headquarters: Hershey, Pennsylvania, US
- Employees: 14,000
- Website: http://www.thehersheycompany.com/
- Company contact number: 1 (800) 468-1714
| Operating data (in $ thousands) | 2013 | 2012 |
| Net sales | $7,146,079 | $6,644,252 |
| Cost of sales | $3,865,231 | $3,784,370 |
| Selling, marketing, and administrative expenses | $1,922,508 | $1,703,796 |
| Business realignment and impairment charges, net | $18,665 | $44,938 |
| Total costs and expenses | $5,806,404 | $5,533,104 |
| Income before interest and income taxes (EBIT) | $1,339,675 | $1,111,148 |
| Interest Expense, net | $88,356 | $95,569 |
| Income before income taxes | $1,251,319 | $1,015,579 |
| Provision for income taxes | $430,849 | $354,648 |
| Net income | $820,470 | $660,931 |
| Balance sheet data (in $ thousands) | ||
| Total assets | $5,357,488 | $4,754,839 |
| Total liabilities | $3,741,436 | $3,706,466 |
| Total stockholders’ equity | $1,616,052 | $1,048,373 |
| Common share data (in $) | ||
| Basic earnings per share | $3.76 | $3.01 |
| Diluted earnings per share | $3.61 | $2.89 |
Source: “Hershey Announces Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2013 Results; Reaffirms Outlook for 2014”