Russell Stover’s Iola plant manager, Andy Darley, provided Iola Rotary members with a bit of personal background and an overview of the Iola facility Thursday afternoon.
A native of northern England, Darley spent the vast majority of his career managing factories in the United States and Canada for Nestlé. He then retired, and after finding himself exceedingly bored, decided to return to the workforce. He now manages both the Iola and Abilene plants, dividing his time between the two locations.
The Iola plant opened in 1997 and currently employs about 335 people, down from around 460 employees in years prior, said Darley. The reduced number can be attributed to employees working shorter shifts but longer work weeks, a change Darley said was made to promote employee safety.
Approximately 60 female residents from the Kansas Department of Corrections are employed at the Iola plant. The residents travel to and from the facility each day via a chartered bus and earn regular wages. The Abilene plant also participates in the program, which began in 2021.
Darley highlighted significant investments to the plant planned for the coming years, all necessary to maintain the plant’s production. Russell Stover Chocolates, which celebrates its centennial this year, is owned by Lindt & Sprüngli of Switzerland and operates three facilities in the United States: the Iola and Abilene plants and one in Corsicana, Texas.
