Oct. 24, 2023 – Santa Rosa County officials today joined executives from Hershey’s Ice Cream to break ground on the company’s planned 30,000-square-foot distribution center located at the new Northwest Florida Industrial Park @ I-10, just south of the interstate.
The Harrisburg, PA-based ice cream brand is relocating its distribution facility to the new East Milton location, which will be larger than its current center and which offers room to expand as demand increases and new product lines are offered.
“We explored several other options, but Santa Rosa County offered everything we were looking for in the time frame we needed,” said George Holder, President of Hershey Creamery Company. “Milton offers Hershey Creamery Company the ability to be centrally located and right off of I-10 to reach 2 million people within a 90-minute drive.”
The Santa Rosa Economic Development Office (SREDO) has been working with Hershey officials for more than a year on the details of the relocation. The payoff will be additional capital investment in the county along with new, well-paying jobs for residents in the region.
“We are thrilled to be the new regional home of the iconic Hershey’s Ice Cream brand,” said Colten Wright, District 5 Santa Rosa County Commissioner. “Milton is central to the large markets throughout the Florida Panhandle and into Alabama and Mississippi, the Northwest Florida Industrial Park makes it easy to store the product and get it to consumers more efficiently and cost-effectively.”
The new Hershey Creamery Company facility will employ up to 30 people once complete, which is projected to take around three years to finish.
“Distribution facilities are among our primary targets,” said Shannon Ogletree, executive director of SREDO. “As with large manufacturers, these companies place a high value on shovel-ready sites that offer room to grow in the years ahead. We expect many others to follow Hershey’s lead.”
