FACTBOX: Facts about Cadbury

(Reuters) - British confectionery group Cadbury has rejected a $16.7 billion bid approach by Kraft Foods Inc but North America's biggest food group still hopes it can clinch a deal.

Following are key facts about Cadbury:

* Cadbury is the world's second-largest confectionery group after Mars-Wrigley, making brands such as Dairy Milk chocolate, Trident gum and Halls cough drops. Now operates in over 60 countries and employs more than 46,000 people.

* In July reported a first-half pretax profit of 262 million pounds ($430 million) with first-half chocolate sales rising 10 percent, helped by a record Easter egg season in Britain, while gum and candy returned to growth in the second quarter.

* Full-year revenue in 2008 came to 5.4 billion pounds with underlying operating profit of 638 million pounds.

HISTORY

* Starts life in 1824 with John Cadbury opening a shop in Birmingham selling tea and cocoa.

* Merges with Schweppes in 1969 to create Cadbury Schweppes.

* Becomes the world's biggest confectionery group in 2003 after buying the U.S. Adams chewing gum business for $4.2 billion.

* Sells continental European business to Lion and Blackstone for 1.85 billion euros in February 2006.

* Demerges Cadbury Schweppes Plc in May 2008 following shareholder pressure, creating the London-listed confectionery group Cadbury Plc and U.S. soft drinks group Dr Pepper Snapple Group.

* In March 2009 sells Australian beverage business Schweppes Australia to Asahi Breweries for A$1.185 billion ($769.5 million), completing its exit from soft drinks.

(Writing by Jijo Jacob, Bangalore Editorial Reference Unit; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)