# HERSHEY CO

Summary updated: 2026-09-28T12:30:48.648286Z
Canonical: https://finbar.com/research/companies/hershey-co

## Overview

The Hershey Company is a U.S.-based confectionery and snack maker headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Founded by Milton S. Hershey in 1894, the business produces chocolate, sweets, mints and salty snacks. Its brands include Hershey’s, Reese’s, SkinnyPop and Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels. The company states that its vision is “to lead the future of snacking.” [1](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P82269618)[2](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P7986758)[3](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P77517620)[4](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P101288909)[5](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P82699033)

Hershey organizes its business into North America Confectionery, North America Salty Snacks and International segments. It sells more than 85 brands in approximately 65 countries, although North America accounts for most of its sales. In 2025, Hershey reported approximately $11.7 billion in net sales and employed about 17,550 full-time and 2,045 part-time people worldwide. [6](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P116564175)[3](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P77517620)[7](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T897604)[8](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P18941871)
[1](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P82269618)[2](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P7986758)[3](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P77517620)[4](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P101288909)[5](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P82699033)[6](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P116564175)[7](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T897604)[8](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P18941871)

## Products & services

Hershey’s products span chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery, gum and mints, protein bars, salty snacks, and pantry foods. Its confectionery brands include Hershey’s, Hershey’s Kisses, Reese’s, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers and York. It also sells ONE protein bars; Ice Breakers, Breath Savers and Bubble Yum refreshment products; and baking products, toppings, syrups, spreads, snack bites and mixes under brands including Hershey’s, Reese’s, Heath and Lily’s. [9](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P60263673)[10](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P67349641)

Its salty-snack products include ready-to-eat SkinnyPop and LesserEvil popcorn, baked, trans-fat-free Pirate’s Booty snacks and Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels. Outside North America, its offerings include regional brands such as Pelon Pelo Rico confectionery in Mexico, IO-IO snacks in Brazil and Sofit beverages in India. Hershey also supplies food-service lines, operates Hershey’s Chocolate World retail stores and licenses certain trademarks and products to third parties. In 2025, North America Confectionery accounted for 81.1% of company net sales and North America Salty Snacks for 10.9%; these are segment shares, not sales figures for individual products. [4](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P101288909)[11](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P43155946)[12](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P64606493)
[9](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P60263673)[10](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P67349641)[4](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P101288909)[11](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P43155946)[12](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P64606493)

## Geographic presence

The Hershey Company’s principal operations and markets are in the United States. In 2025, 87.7% of its net sales were in the U.S. and 12.3% were outside it. Its North America Confectionery segment serves the U.S. and Canada, while its International segment covers other countries where the company manufactures, imports, markets, sells or distributes products. The International segment has operations and manufacturing in Mexico, Brazil, India and Malaysia, and sells into export markets across Latin America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Segment sales should not be read as a country-by-country revenue breakdown. [13](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P115200477)[12](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P64606493)[14](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P32083874)

Hershey’s principal executive offices are in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Its listed principal properties include manufacturing plants across several U.S. states, confectionery plants in Monterrey and El Salto, Mexico, a confectionery plant in Johor, Malaysia, and a distribution facility in Brantford, Ontario. The company says its U.S., Canadian and Mexican facilities primarily support its two North America segments, while the Malaysian facility primarily serves the International segment. [2](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P7986758)[15](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T297478)[16](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P67469335)
[13](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P115200477)[12](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P64606493)[14](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P32083874)[2](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P7986758)[15](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T297478)[16](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P67469335)

## Business segments

Hershey reports three business segments. **North America Confectionery** covers chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery in the United States and Canada, along with gum, mints and other refreshment products, protein bars, spreads, snack mixes, and pantry and food-service products. It also includes retail stores and certain licensing activities. The segment accounted for approximately 81% of 2025 net sales. [12](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P64606493)[17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T10142256)

**North America Salty Snacks** covers U.S. salty-snack products, including SkinnyPop and LesserEvil popcorn, Pirate’s Booty snacks and Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels. It contributed approximately 11% of 2025 net sales. [18](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P69027508)[4](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P101288909)[17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T10142256)

**International** covers confectionery and other products manufactured, marketed, sold or distributed outside the two North American segments. Hershey identifies operations in Mexico, Brazil, India and Malaysia, as well as sales in other export markets. The segment contributed approximately 8% of 2025 net sales. [14](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P32083874)[17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T10142256)
[12](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P64606493)[17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T10142256)[18](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P69027508)[4](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P101288909)[17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T10142256)[14](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P32083874)[17](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T10142256)

## Company history

Milton S. Hershey founded the business that became The Hershey Company in 1894. The first Hershey’s milk chocolate bar was sold in 1900, construction of the original chocolate factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania, began in 1903, and Hershey’s Kisses were introduced in 1907. The company was incorporated in Delaware in 1927. [19](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P35321765)[20](https://www.hersheyland.com/products/hersheys-milk-chocolate-candy-bar-1-55-oz.html.html)[21](https://hersheyarchives.org/encyclopedia/a-key-to-the-past-hershey-chocolate-factory-architectural-plans/)[22](https://www.hersheyland.com/kisses)

Hershey acquired the H.B. Reese Candy Company in 1963. In 1988, it agreed to buy the operating assets of Cadbury Schweppes’ U.S. confectionery business and license brands including Mounds, Almond Joy and York Peppermint Pattie. Decades later, Hershey expanded further into snacks, acquiring Amplify Snack Brands, which included SkinnyPop, in 2018 and Dot’s Pretzels in 2021. [23](https://hersheyarchives.org/encyclopedia/new-exhibit-hershey-in-1963/)[24](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/07/22/Cadbury-Schweppes-announced-Friday-an-agreement-for-the-franchising/4256585547200/)[25](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P64098279)[26](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P113410668)
[19](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P35321765)[25](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P64098279)[26](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P113410668)[20](https://www.hersheyland.com/products/hersheys-milk-chocolate-candy-bar-1-55-oz.html.html)[21](https://hersheyarchives.org/encyclopedia/a-key-to-the-past-hershey-chocolate-factory-architectural-plans/)[22](https://www.hersheyland.com/kisses)[23](https://hersheyarchives.org/encyclopedia/new-exhibit-hershey-in-1963/)[24](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/07/22/Cadbury-Schweppes-announced-Friday-an-agreement-for-the-franchising/4256585547200/)

## Sources

1. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P82269618)
2. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P7986758)
3. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P77517620)
4. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P101288909)
5. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P82699033)
6. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P116564175)
7. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T897604)
8. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P18941871)
9. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P60263673)
10. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P67349641)
11. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P43155946)
12. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P64606493)
13. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P115200477)
14. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P32083874)
15. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T297478)
16. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P67469335)
17. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=T10142256)
18. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2025 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P69027508)
19. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2024 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P35321765)
20. [www.hersheyland.com](https://www.hersheyland.com/products/hersheys-milk-chocolate-candy-bar-1-55-oz.html.html)
21. [hersheyarchives.org](https://hersheyarchives.org/encyclopedia/a-key-to-the-past-hershey-chocolate-factory-architectural-plans/)
22. [www.hersheyland.com](https://www.hersheyland.com/kisses)
23. [hersheyarchives.org](https://hersheyarchives.org/encyclopedia/new-exhibit-hershey-in-1963/)
24. [www.upi.com](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/07/22/Cadbury-Schweppes-announced-Friday-an-agreement-for-the-franchising/4256585547200/)
25. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2018 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P64098279)
26. [HERSHEY CO — Full financial report (2021 Y)](https://app.finbar.com/go?id=P113410668)

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