Haigh’s sweetens national expansion with new chocolate factory
Adelaide-based Haigh’s Chocolates will build new production lines and warehouses at Salisbury South as part of a 10-year plan to double output and boost online and in-store sales nationally.
The family-owned chocolate maker announced this morning it had purchased a 3.6-hectare greenfield at the Nexus North Industrial Estate next to the Chidda station on the Gawler railway line.
The development in Adelaide’s northern suburbs will include a 9000sq m production facility and 6000sq m for online orders and warehousing.
The company will maintain its Greenhill Road head office and Mile End cocoa bean processing facility.
Haigh’s Chocolates chief executive Alister Haigh said work at Salisbury South was scheduled to commence in the coming months with the plans currently underway.
“For more than 100 years, we have been creating first-class premium quality, bean-to-bar chocolate,” he said.
“We want to ensure that we can continue to deliver our great tasting chocolate to more Australians alongside our memorable in-store experience as well as supporting a strong online offering.”
Haigh’s currently employs more than 650 people and has 22 retail stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide as well as online sales through its website.
The 10-year strategy includes:
- Doubling capacity for tonnes of bean-to-bar chocolate made each year
- Growing the number of retail stores across the country
- Significantly increasing online and corporate sales
- Creating jobs in the warehouse, chocolate processing plant, online fulfilment areas and new retail stores.
Haigh said ramping up the company’s online sales was an important part of the strategy.
John Haigh (centre) with sons Simon (left) and Alister. Picture: Supplied
“In recent years there has certainly been strong demand for online purchases,” he said.
“We want to continue to meet that demand as efficiently as possible to ensure a seamless shopping experience for our customers.”
Founded by Alfred Haigh, Haigh’s Chocolates opened its first Haigh’s store in the Beehive Building on the corner of Rundle Mall and King William St in 1915, which remains the company’s flagship shopfront today.
The company opened its $15 million Mile End factory in 2018, enabling it the ability to almost triple production to 2000 tonnes of chocolate a year.
Last year it opened two new Adelaide stores at Gouger Street in the CBD and Westfield Marion.
