Company Overview
About Hershey Company (The)
The Hershey Company is a Hershey, Pennsylvania-based confectionery and snacks company — publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HSY) as an S&P 500 Consumer Staples component — manufacturing and selling chocolate, candy, mints, gum, and salty snacks through iconic brands including Hershey's (chocolate bars, Kisses), Reese's (peanut butter cups — America's #1 candy brand by revenue), Kit Kat (licensed from Nestlé for the US market), York Peppermint Patties, Jolly Rancher, Ice Breakers, Skinny Pop, Dot's Pretzels, and Pirate's Booty through approximately 18,000 employees in 80+ countries. In fiscal year 2024, Hershey reported net sales of approximately $10.2 billion, with earnings per share significantly compressed by unprecedented cocoa commodity inflation: West African cocoa prices (Ghana and Ivory Coast provide 70%+ of global cocoa supply) surged from $2,500/metric ton in 2022 to over $12,000/metric ton in early 2024 — the highest prices in 50+ years — driven by El Niño-related drought and crop disease (swollen shoot disease) reducing cocoa harvests, creating a chocolate manufacturer cost crisis that Hershey absorbed through price increases and hedging while managing volume declines as consumers resisted higher candy prices. CEO Michele Buck has guided Hershey through the cocoa inflation crisis by implementing 10-15% retail price increases in 2023-2024, reformulating some lower-margin products to reduce cocoa content, and hedging cocoa commodity exposure on a rolling 12-18 month forward basis to smooth out extreme spot price volatility.
Business Model & Competitive Advantage
Hershey's confectionery model creates competitive advantages through the iconic brand equity of Hershey's chocolate and Reese's peanut butter cups in the US candy market: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups hold the #1 candy brand position in the US by dollar sales — a position maintained for years through the distinctive combination of Hershey chocolate and Reese's peanut butter that has no direct brand substitute in consumer preference studies. The Hershey-owned production capacity (US manufacturing in Hershey PA, Robinson IL, Stuarts Draft VA, and international plants) provides vertical integration from cocoa sourcing to finished chocolate product distribution — enabling Hershey to control quality and capture manufacturing margins rather than co-manufacturing. The seasonal candy market timing (Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, Christmas represent 60%+ of candy category volume) creates predictable demand cycles that Hershey manages through retail co-promotion planning and seasonal pack development. Hershey's salty snacks portfolio (acquired Amplify Snack Brands for $1.6B in 2018 — bringing SkinnyPop, Pirate's Booty — and Dot's Pretzels in 2021) diversifies beyond chocolate into the $22B US salty snacks market.
Competitive Landscape 2025–2026
In 2025, Hershey competes in US chocolate and candy against Mars Inc. (private, M&M's, Snickers, Twix, Milky Way — largest US candy company by revenue), Mondelez International (NASDAQ: MDLZ, Cadbury, Toblerone, Ritz — international chocolate and snacks), and Ferrero (private, Nutella, Tic Tac, Kinder — rapidly growing US market share through Fannie May and Nestle USA confectionery acquisitions) for US candy market share, retail shelf space during seasonal candy periods, and premium dark chocolate segment positioning. The cocoa inflation trajectory (cocoa prices declining from $12,000/MT peak as improved 2025 West Africa harvests increase supply, with 2025 futures settling toward $7,000-8,000/MT) determines Hershey's earnings recovery path — chocolate margins compressed severely in 2024, and normalization of cocoa costs would significantly boost earnings even without volume recovery. Hershey's pricing actions (2023-2024 price increases) and reformulation investments need to retain consumer loyalty as private label chocolate options became more attractive during the premium candy price run-up. The 2025 strategy focuses on cocoa cost management through forward hedging as prices normalize, volume recovery from consumers returning to premium branded candy at stabilized prices, and salty snacks portfolio growth capturing snack occasions beyond chocolate.
The Hershey Company (The) Story
Founders
Company Timeline
Major milestones in Hershey Company (The)'s journey
Leadership Team
Meet the leaders behind Hershey Company (The)
Michele Buck
Michele Buck served as Hershey's first female CEO from 2017 until her retirement in August 2025. With a bachelor's degree from Shippensburg University and MBA from UNC Chapel Hill, Buck joined Hershey in 2005 and held roles including CMO, President North America, and COO before becoming CEO. She was elected Chairman in 2019 and joined JPMorgan Chase's board in 2025.
Kirk Tanner
Kirk Tanner joined Hershey as President and CEO in August 2025, succeeding Michele Buck. Tanner brings extensive consumer goods experience to lead Hershey's next chapter of growth and innovation in the confectionery and snacking markets.
Steve Voskuil
Steve Voskuil was appointed SVP and CFO of The Hershey Company in 2019. He holds a BBA in Accounting and Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and attended Stanford Graduate School of Business. Steve spent 22 years at Kimberly-Clark, including roles as CFO of Kimberly-Clark International and SVP/CFO of Halyard Health, before joining Hershey.
Andrew Archambault
Andrew Archambault serves as President of Hershey's U.S. Confection business, leading brand and commercial strategies, P&L oversight, and future portfolio development for Hershey's core confectionery brands in its largest market.
Deepak Bhatia
Deepak Bhatia serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at The Hershey Company, overseeing technology strategy, digital innovation, and IT infrastructure to support the company's business transformation and growth initiatives.
Jason Reiman
Jason Reiman leads Hershey's global supply chain operations as Senior Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer, overseeing manufacturing, procurement, logistics, and supply chain strategy to ensure product quality and operational excellence.
Open Positions
Reddit Discussions
Key Differentiators
Market Leader
Hershey Company (The) is recognized as a market leader in the Consumer Goods sector, demonstrating strong industry presence and customer trust.
Enterprise Scale
With $10200M in revenue, Hershey Company (The) operates at enterprise scale with proven market validation.
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