Jelly Belly production leaving North Chicago

Jelly Belly jelly beans will no longer be made in the company's North Chicago factory, according to a recent workforce reduction announcement made by the company.

Nearly 70 employees will be laid off in North Chicago in the coming months as California-based Jelly Belly moves the production of its Jelly Belly brands to Fairfield, California.

Formerly known as Goelitz Confectionary Co, the North Chicago location has made candy for more than 100 years.

"Eliminating positions is a difficult decision to make," company President Bob Simpson said in a news release. "This move to private label manufacturing is a forward thinking step for the best deployment of the Illinois facility and the company overall."

The North Chicago facility will continue making "private label and contract confectionary manufacturing" with a reduced workforce, the company said in a news release.

North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr. expressed sympathy for those who will be losing their jobs but was thankful that the company will continue to operate despite the reduced workforce.

"The company is still a benefit to the community," he said. "It's good to see that at least they're not closing the plant down completely."

And in Arlington Heights, more than 100 people at Intuit Inc. will also lose their jobs, according to documents recently filed with the state.

The financial and tax prep software maker is closing its support center at 75 W. Algonquin Road.

"It's never anything we like to see. We always work hard to attract new businesses and retain the ones we have," said Charles Witherington-Perkins, the director of planning and community development in Arlington Heights. "Sometimes that doesn't always work out to our favor. It's disappointing, and we'll work hard to try to refill the void that's been left.

"Obviously it has the most impact on these employees, so we certainly feel for them that they're losing their position."