After almost two years in the making, Haigh’s Chocolates has officially opened its new $120 million production warehouse and online fulfillment facility.

Located in Salisbury South in Adelaide, the 18,000sq m state-of-the-art facility was built to support Haigh’s ongoing expansion and future plans for wider distribution.

The company currently produces 1100 tonnes of chocolate to fulfil the needs of its 22 retail and online stores. With the new facility that figure will be increased to 2000 tonnes of chocolate per year.

Haigh’s Chocolates chief executive officer Peter Millard said the new facility represented the the biggest investment for the company in its 110-year history.

“The Salisbury South Complex is a significant physical manifestation of a company-wide investment in people, systems and capabilities over the last four years,” he said.

“This opening recognises the completion of our chocolate capacity building phase, the continuing growth of our retail network in the eastern states and the meeting of increasing demand of our chocolate.”

Haigh’s Chocolates owner and Brand Ambassador Alister Haigh said in the last five months alone Haigh’s had celebrated its 110-year anniversary, opened its seventh store in Sydney and had appointed a new CEO.

“It’s been an exciting time for the business and I’m so proud to see the love for our chocolates continue to span all generations,” he said.

The Salisbury South facility is powered by 1180 solar panels and features 1.7km of chocolate delivery pipes and more than 5km of linear storage space. The new facility will accommodate up to 400 employees – including the creation of approximately 100 new jobs across production, warehousing and fulfilment in the next five years.

As part of the development, Haigh’s invested $30 million in the installation of advanced equipment, which includes the introduction of specialised panning, enrobing and moulding lines, as well as kitchen and packing equipment that complements its artisan chocolate making capabilities.