Chocolate maker Barry Callebaut is planning a new specialty chocolate factory in Ontario, Canada. According to Thursday’s announcement, there are plans for an investment of US$104 million over ten years. The factory is scheduled to start operations in 2024.

Initially, it will have an annual production capacity of 50,000 tonnes of chocolates. More than 200 new jobs are to be created in the new factory.

The new Ontario factory is the group’s largest capital investment in the Americas region. In total, Barry Callebaut has 15 chocolate and cocoa processing factories in this geographic area. The investment in Ontario fits into the group’s strategy of locating production closer to consumers, it said.