Hoping for chocolate production in Fulton

Hoping for chocolate production in Fulton
10/9/2007 6:13 PM
By: Nneka Nwosu

FULTON, N.Y.--New York Chocolate and Confections denies accusations of money laundering, but has not said when production will begin at the Fulton factory. Despite a lack of production, the city is still hopefull.

"Nestle was part of the city of Fulton. You could smell chocolate every Saturday at noon when the steam whistle went off," said Fulton Mayor Daryl Hayden.

Before he was the mayor, Hayden worked at Nestle's for 35 years. He even has a table of old products outside his office. Hayden left before the company moved production to Brazil in 2003.

The following year, New York Chocolate and Confections moved in. But after three years, financial troubles, and now accusations of money laundering, there is still no chocolate.

"You read things you don't know what to believe, what not to believe. Hopefully they're not true," said Hayden.

At a press conference Monday, New York Chocolate officials called the rumors false. An article published in Fulton's Valley News sites French media reports that millions of dollars meant for the fulton factory mysteriously disappeared. The reports say the money was laundered through a company secretly owned by the New York Chocolate CEO. Officials say the rumors are a result of investor disputes.

Yalle Agbre, the treasure of NY Chocolate and Confections, said, "There is no shady business going on."

But, despite the rumors and lack of production, the mayor believes fulton will once again smell like chocolate."

"We all have hope, you know," said Hayden. "After a hundred years of Nestle's we want to smell the roasters roasting again."

Even if those roasters belong to a completely new company sometime down the road.