Morinaga candy factory will bring up to 100 jobs to the county

As Japanese company Morinaga America Foods Inc. prepares to open its candy factory in Mebane, the company is trying to recruit workers who could start as early as April.

Morinaga will be holding two information sessions on Wednesday and Thursday at Durham Tech’s Orange County campus in Hillsborough for those interested in careers at the facility.

The company is looking for production operators, production supervisors and quality technicians. The positions will have pay ranges of $10 to $20 per hour.

Steve Brantley, director of the Orange County economic development office, said he is thrilled to have the Morinaga facility.

“They are making a significant capital investment that propels the company to be our new number one corporate tax payer,” Brantley said. “The company validates the county commissioners’ efforts to try to diversify Orange County’s economy by preparing our economic development districts to be suitable to attract businesses.”

He said the new factory will add about 90 to 100 jobs that have full-time training, salary and benefits.

The unemployment rate in Orange County is 3.9 percent.

“There would be another group of individuals who are seeking better jobs in terms of pay, technology, hours, location and stability,” Brantley said. “I think the Morinaga job fair is an opportunity for people who are working, but who would consider themselves to be underemployed.”

The factory will produce their popular Hi-Chew brand — chewy fruit-flavored candy — that is growing in demand in the U.S. since its introduction in 2010.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the 120,000 sq. ft. facility was held in June.

Keita Morinaga, a corporate secretary for the Morinaga Company, said in an email that the company chose Mebane because it’s a great recruiting location for professional and skilled workers, as well as a strategic location for logistics because of its major highway access.

“We will share an overview about the company, its history, potential start date, pre-employment hiring requirements and expectations,” Morinaga said of this week’s information sessions.

Morinaga said construction is on schedule and the facility plans to open in June with some employees starting as early as April.

Barry Jacobs, an Orange County commissioner, said the new facility will keep workers in the county.

“We do pretty well because of the University, but we need more private sector jobs,” said Jacobs. “We need more jobs in the other parts of the county other than the southeastern corridor.”

He said the new facility will bring more opportunities for people with lower income, as well as increase the tax base.

“I think people are excited about it,” Jacobs said. “They’re excited about jobs, they’re excited about some changes in our economic development status, and they’re excited about candy.”

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