Jelly Belly is the world’s #1 gourmet jelly bean, offered in 50 official flavors and special collection varieties in 76 countries across the globe.

Jelly Belly Moves to Thailand

In 2006, Jelly Belly Candy Company made the decision to expand internationally in order to meet both domestic and international demand for its jelly beans and other candy products. After visiting several countries around the world, the company ultimately chose to locate its offshore site in the Rayong Province of Thailand, as it would best service the company’s growing international needs.

Herman Rowland Sr., Chairman of Jelly Belly Candy Co., was looking to satisfy a critical list of needs before choosing the location where ground would be broken for the new manufacturing plant. Topping this list were ownership of the property, raw material availability, favorable labor costs, and other specific accommodations concerning foreign investment. Thailand was able to meet these requirements better than other offshore options.

Locating in Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard Industrial Park meant that Jelly Belly would have access to a reliable and modern infrastructure for water, gas, and electricity distribution, as well as a transportation network that connected the facility to the country’s six deep sea ports and two international river ports. “Access to raw materials and its proximity to one of the largest sea ports in Asia” are the main advantages that Thailand offers Jelly Belly as a location, says Mike Bianco, Senior Vice President of Global Operations. The industrial park’s designation as a free trade zone meant that the company would be able to buy materials and process them for export without paying additional value added taxes.

In January of 2009, the $10 million, 50,000 square-foot Jelly Belly manufacturing plant shipped its first container load of Jelly Belly beans. Soon after, a 12,000 square-foot expansion was added and in 2012, construction began on a 65,000 square-foot addition which would further the plant’s packaging capabilities and expand the space available for the mixing of candies and storage of finished goods. Once completed, the Thailand facility will be over 100,000 square feet. 

Jelly Belly looked locally for employees to help open the Thai facility in 2009. By 2012, the plant employed 100 locals who were quick to learn the cooking, molding, panning, and finishing processes involved in producing a batch of jelly beans. Jelly Belly’s Thai employees strive to produce jelly beans which are identical in taste and appearance to their US counterparts and have succeeded in doing so, according to Jelly Belly executives and tasters around the world. Today, the company imports flavors from the United States but sources all of its sugar, tapioca syrup, and water locally. Flavors unique to the Thailand production facility include lychee, passion fruit, green tea, and guava.

Jelly Belly’s Thailand Operations Spark International Growth 

Thailand’s central location has enabled Jelly Belly to be more competitive globally than it was almost a decade ago, fueling international sales growth by putting the company in the position to tailor their products to a variety of international consumers. “We have aggressive plans for growth in the international markets to extend distribution of our products globally. This factory is the key driver of that expansion,” says Bianco.

In particular, Thailand’s position as a top global producer of tapioca syrup has proven to be beneficial to Jelly Belly’s European expansion and success. The high availability and low cost of the non-GMO ingredient allows the candy company to meet the needs of most European retailers, who insist on GMO-free ingredients.

And in 2011, the company saw a 25 percent increase in international sales, with the UK, Canada, Germany, and Australia being its four largest export markets. Today, Jelly Belly distributes its products to 76 countries around the globe. The Thai facility is the primary manufacturing location for all international distribution. With a facility in Southeast Asia, Thailand is able to better serve Europe and emerging markets such as China, India, and the Middle East. 

“Thailand has wonderful people and a great culture. We are looking forward to many more years in Thailand.” -Herman G. Rowland Jr., Managing Director of Thailand’s Jelly Belly plant