Lithgow celebrates as Nutella turns 50

And it’s centred on Lithgow.

The product they seemingly can’t get enough of is Nutella, a hazelnut spread manufactured for local consumption and for export at Lithgow’s Ferrero factory. And it really is the sweet taste of success.

At possibly the most unique celebration held anywhere at the weekend, Ferrero executives, employees and ex employees of the Lithgow factory (and their families) gathered to mark the 50th anniversary of the creation by Ferrero in Italy of what was to become a household name.

Ferrero is one of the Lithgow district’s biggest employers with around 130 on the payroll.

Their Nutella and Tic Tac products are sent around Australia and to several overseas destinations.

In a giant marquee in the factory grounds in Barton Street the company’s managing director-commercial Craig Barker told how the product had been experiencing amazing growth.

He said that in the past year alone sales had grown by 21 per cent — ‘not bad for a product that has been around for 48 years in Australia’. This equated to an additional one million kilos of Lithgow Nutella or jars of the product laid end to end stretching from the company’s North Sydney headquarters to Lithgow.

The trend is continuing, Mr Barker said, with sales up nine per cent in Australia this year and six per cent globally.

Managing director-manufacturing Francesco Fusina stressed the importance of company employee relationships in the Lithgow factory and referred to the number of employees who had more than 20 years service.

He said this sort of experience was highly valued by Ferrero in ‘manufacturing a product we are all proud of’.

Mayor Maree Statham said Ferrero was a valued part of the Lithgow district economy and was to be congratulated.

“We are proud to have Ferrero in our community,” she said.

“I doubt there is another company in Australia that can boast a 21 per cent one year growth in demand for its product.