[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22511]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE NEW DOVE CHOCOLATE CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSEPH R. PITTS

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 25, 2008

  Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, I stand today to commend the opening of the 
new Dove Chocolate Center for Excellence in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania 
on Monday, September 29th. On the 29th, I will join Dove in celebrating 
the completion of a $70 million factory expansion. The expansion not 
only represents an investment in Mars production capacity, but 
represents a $70 million investment in the Elizabethtown community as 
well.
  Mars Snackfood US has a history in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, 
dating back to 1970 when Mars, Incorporated purchased the Klein 
Chocolate Company. In order to keep up with production demand, their 
facility, which was originally built in 1915, has been renovated and 
expanded several times since the purchase in 1970. Today, the 
Elizabethtown plant is the center of the Mars Snackfood US chocolate 
making world, roasting and grinding the cocoa beans used in the 
company's various snack products.
  Mars currently employs more than 300 people at the Elizabethtown 
plant, and the expansion will retain current jobs and add more than 30 
new jobs as well. As a part of the financial commitment to the 
expansion, in November 2007 Mars showed its ongoing commitment to the 
Elizabethtown community by contributing $125,000 to the borough to be 
used for mitigating traffic concerns during the expansion project.
  I want to congratulate Mars on the completion of a successful 
expansion project and praise their commitment to American jobs by 
maintaining and indeed expanding production here in Pennsylvania, to 
the benefit of the Elizabethtown community. It is important that we 
recognize firms like Mars for their investment in the communities in 
which they operate. At a time when many jobs are being sent overseas, I 
commend Mars for creating expanding opportunities for employment right 
here in Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District.

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