Near the Rainbow Road and Walton Boulevard intersection, The Hershey Company’s Bentonville office is a familiar landmark for Northwest Arkansas commuters on one of the city’s busiest streets.
Stepping inside the doors beneath the nostalgic white block letters and iconic Kisses silhouette, visitors are greeted by a towering image of namesake, Milton Hershey. Just beyond it, a patchwork of Hershey’s portfolio spills across the entrance hall with brand logos gathered together like old friends. Eric Brewer, Vice President and GM of Hershey’s Walmart and Club Channels, points out how that first view says a lot about the business’s history and what it still stands for. “The company founded in his name, holding on to the principles and the values that he founded the company with,” Brewer says, adding, “At the end of the day, we’re a house of brands. And I love that when you walk in, you immediately see these images right in front of you; it’s a fun little jog down memory lane.”
That jog continues into a workplace that has grown into a full-scale hub. The Bentonville office no longer reads as a split operation; what used to be a salty side and a confection side is now one Hershey building, with teams moving together instead of apart. Brewer calls that shift “the physical manifestation of us symbolically bringing the company together,” and the company’s new ONE Hershey model gives the idea even more muscle. The organization’s second-largest location, NWA keeps adding people from category management to regional grocery to small-format leadership. Just as important, the expansion means employees have the opportunity to move across roles and grow their career in this market without having to uproot their lives every time a new job opens. That quality of life is part of the appeal, confirms Kirk Willis, who has been with Hershey for a decade but was thrilled to discover that he can bike to work every day — rain, shine, or even snow! — when he and his wife relocated last year. “Even though NWA is smaller in footprint to other places we’ve lived, it punches well above its weight in infrastructure that lets us be outside, be active, and be connected.”
The building knows how to gather people, too. Downstairs, the kitchen fills up every Wednesday for a team lunch, and frequently doubles as the backdrop for baby showers, happy hours, and other celebrations. During major sporting events or cultural moments like the 2026 March Madness™ tournament, some employees will set up in common areas with TVs and keep working while the game plays in the background, prompting natural moments of connection and conversation. The auditorium serves a similar purpose in another register. Vintage photos on the walls tie the present moment to the legacy that built it, and a layout encouraging collaboration across functions is a concrete representation of a culture that’s become more connected, inclusive, and focused on teamwork rather than silos. “The collaborative spaces really stand out,” confirms Sarah Bishop, who leads Hershey’s office engagement committee. “Between the bright colors, our fun brands on display, and teams constantly coming together, the office reflects a culture that’s energetic, creative, and very people-focused.”
Hershey’s products are playful by design, and the Bentonville space leans into that spirit with confidence. Seasonal displays and brand iconography take over walls. Brand moments pop up in the hallways. Characters from partnerships appear in those designs. The office does not try to hide its personality; it puts it on display. “We have an absolutely incredible shopper marketing team that does a really good job of using the building to highlight how much fun the Hershey portfolio should represent,” Brewer attests.
Family history runs through Bentonville, too. John Zych, who leads Hershey’s Walmart sales team, grew up around the business, following his father into a career with the confectioner. “We have a combined 52 years with the company,” he reveals. Recent promotion at the office for the upcoming Hershey film had Zych reflecting on the lore he’s known his whole life in a new light. “I think about how each part of that story has led to today, the impact on my life growing up, and now on my own kids. I love history. I also love trying to help create and transform that history.”
Those family ties show up in other ways as well. “Having the opportunity to learn and grow at Hershey, with a desk directly across from my little brother, will be some of the memories I’ll think of when I’m 80,” shares Allie Shoup, a sales executive on the Sam’s Club team. Coming to Hershey as a recent college grad and growing through personal and professional milestones since, Shoup found a culture that, as an older sister, carried a hint of familiarity. “Somehow, this office has created an incredible energy that is both competitive and empowering. You want to win, but you also want everyone around you to win, too — and that balance is rare.” Her younger brother, retail analyst Jim Klika, agrees as he details the support, passion, and legacy of Hershey he recognized from his very first day. “Family is there to push you to be your best self, celebrate when you succeed, and pick you up when you fail, and we always do that for each other,” he says, “but also with everyone in the office, because The Hershey Company is truly one big family!”
Erin Hollingsworth, meanwhile, has found a different kind of connection through the office’s support for community work. She is active with the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas and loves how Hershey makes service feel tangible. “It didn’t feel rigid or overly corporate; it felt approachable and human,” she says of her first impression of a workplace that makes community involvement personal. “It’s not just something we support in theory; it’s woven into everyday conversations and the culture of the office.” On monitors in the entry and throughout the building, photos cycle through volunteer days, school events, and team outings at places like the Boys & Girls Club of Benton County, the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter, Girls on the Run, Hope Cancer Resources, and other local organizations. “I love how involved in the community Hershey is,” Brewer agrees. “And the reason that we do it is not because it puts us in the room with somebody or drives dollars. We do it because it’s the right thing to do. It’s core to who we are as a company and is something I’m incredibly proud of.”
Brewer doesn’t hedge when the conversation turns to Hershey’s future. “There are only two places in the world that I am 100% confident Hershey will have an office in 100 years from now,” he asserts. One of them is its hometown of Hershey, Pennsylvania, and the other is right here in Bentonville. It’s not a knock on the other markets; it’s a reflection of how strongly he believes in what’s building here, from the depth of talent in the region to the role this team plays in the business. That level of certainty gives the company reason to keep investing here with a conviction that both the team and the spaces they work in will continue developing. Still, for all that future focus, the atmosphere inside the office never drifts too far from what makes the category enjoyable. Brewer distills it simply: “If you can’t have fun selling candy, you’re doing something wrong!”
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