The Hershey Co. announced Wednesday its first bilingual manufacturing facility. Through the launch of the company's 'Say Hola' initiative, the Hershey plant in Hazleton, Pennsylvania now integrates both Spanish and English-speaking employees.
At the facility, the company conducts training in both English and Spanish; produces all signs, labels, and forms in both languages; and ensures bilingual employees and resources are made available on the floor to support communication.
"At the frontline of our business, our manufacturing employees make what we do possible and are a driving force behind our recent supply chain investments," said Jason Reiman, SVP and chief supply chain officer at Hershey, in a statement. "By delivering exceptional and inclusive experiences for employees, their families, and the greater communities, we are doubling down on our legacy commitment to ensure Hershey is a top workplace for manufacturing workers so that people can grow within our company."
The company launched the initiative in the Hazleton community, a location that has experienced rapid growth in the Hispanic population over the past 20 years, from five to over 60 percent.
"The 'Say Hola' initiative showcases Hershey's commitment to our people and the communities in which we live and work – both on a local and global scale," said Alicia Petross, chief diversity officer, in a statement. "'Say Hola' has accelerated the diversity of our workforce—a key element of our DEI roadmap—and provided upskilling, improved recruiting and retention, and most importantly, the program fosters a workplace that looks more like the communities our colleagues live in."
As its first multilingual pilot program, Hershey will continue to use key learnings from this initiative to move its people-first manufacturing vision forward and support its overarching DEI roadmap.
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