The world's biggest candy company has found a state financial incentive scrumptious enough to put a distribution center in Ogden.

Pennsylvania-based Hershey Co. said Thursday that the facility in Business Depot Ogden will be its Western distribution center and have more than 100 full-time jobs.

The announcement came four months after the state awarded the company a tax-rebate incentive of up to $2.6 million.

"We're very pleased to be building Hershey's new distribution center in Ogden," said Hershey president and chief executive officer David J. West. "Our new distribution center represents a significant investment in Utah and will contribute to Hershey's long-term success by enabling us to meet the needs of our customers."

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said Hershey "will be a great addition to the growing and vibrant Ogden community."

Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey credited several organizations for landing Hershey, including Ogden city, the Governor's Office of Economic Development, the Economic Development Corp. of Utah, Big-D Construction and GSBS Architects. "It took everyone to make this happen," Godfrey said.

In October, the GOED board said that Utah was competing with Arizona and Nevada for the project. The incentive that the board approved requires Hershey to keep the facility in Utah for 10 years and pay its workers at least 40 percent above the Weber County median wage. Board documents at the time showed average annual wages were expected to be $36,829, which is 49 percent above the county median.

Those documents also indicated Hershey planned to outsource the jobs to a third party and that the project would attract at least two partner companies that would create jobs for the area.

Ogden city's contribution is an incentive topping $3 million that features land, rail and road infrastructure, as well as utility improvements.

Hershey said Thursday that the new center is part of a company plan to "make their distribution footprint more flexible, cost-effective and relevant for their customers."

The facility is expected to represent a capital investment of about $38 million. The state would see about $13 million in new revenue over 10 years.

Hershey has annual revenues of nearly $5 billion and a worldwide work force of nearly 13,000 employees. Its top brands are Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, Kit Kat, Twizzlers and Ice Breakers.

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E-mail: bwallace@desnews.com