Smuckers Adding Production, Jobs

Smuckers Adding Production, Jobs

November 12, 2015 (Scottsville, KY) by Matt Pedigo, C-T News Editor

 

The J.M. Smucker Company and its Scottsville plant are already known for producing sweet treats—and they’ve announced a big one for Allen County’s job market.

Smuckers Senior Human Resources Specialist Dana Russell confirmed Monday that the Scottsville plant will be expanding its production capacity—and that those looking for full-time work can apply soon.

“The Scottsville manufacturing facility plans to increase its local workforce by 100 positions by April 2016,” she said. “Additional information will be forthcoming regarding plans to host an on-site recruitment event, planned in January 2016. For more information or to apply on-line, please visit www.smuckercareers.com.”

The plant was announced in 2002, and the original 180,000 square-foot opened the following year. The initial workforce was about 150. In 2011, an 80,000 square-foot physical expansion to the plant was announced, that added another 80 jobs, for a total of 420 workers at that time. The new production expansion will bring the plant’s total full-time workforce to 510, Russell said.

The Orrville, Ohio-based Smucker Company (jmsmucker.com) produces a wide variety of food products, under several brand names; examples are Martha White, Jif peanut butter and Carnation. The company also produces pet foods.

The Scottsville plant produces the company’s popular frozen food line of Uncrustables® peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which come in several flavors and now also feature whole grain bread choices. The plant also makes the company’s Snack-N-Waffle® line, a tasty snack waffle with syrup already baked in.

The production expansion will be for Uncrustables.  Smuckers Vice President of Marketing for Consumer Foods Tina Floyd announced the expansion on October 20, during an investor’s presentation in New York City.

Food Business News article quotes Floyd at the meeting thus: “We see significant room for growth as consumers are using Uncrustables for lunchtime occasions as well as snacking options on the go. To date, we are very pleased with our performance, with double-digit volume gains in 14 consecutive quarters. Producing over one million sandwiches a day, we continue to be very optimistic about the future and this great-tasting product.”

The article states that the product line accounts for a four-percent share of the frozen sandwich product market. It has a US household penetration of about six percent—and growing steadily.

The same article quotes the company’s President of Consumer and Natural Foods, as he discusses the expansions the Scottsville plant has seen since its opening in 2003. “What’s great about the brand is we put a little bit of marketing behind it, and it starts to grow. So, we do have a need to continue to invest in that line, or in that facility.

“We’ve actually put a new bakery in and with this new line, we will increase our capacity,” he continued. “This line will increase that production and give us the flexibility to focus on efficiency improvements across the entire facility. So, it’s not just this one line, but it will give us opportunities over the next, say, two years to continue to optimize the site.”

Local officials also welcomed the news.

“We’re thrilled to death for Smuckers to be a part of our community,” Scottsville Mayor Rob Cline said. “When I first became mayor, they had started with 150 jobs, and have just kept exceeding that and growing since. They’re a real positive for our county.”

Economic Development/Industrial Development Authority Director Richie Sanders praised the work of state and local officials in working with the Smucker Company to lay the groundwork for future expansion. This included performance-based tax incentives for the 2011 expansion, and with projects like the company’s added on-site freezer storage facility.

“We’re excited, and enjoy the continued great relationship our community has with the J.M. Smucker Company,” Sanders said. “People love the product. It’s a great product, and a great company.”

“This is exciting news,” Allen Judge/Executive Johnny Hobdy said.  “The folks here have created a good environment for the J.M. Smucker Company, and they continue to invest in our community. Their continued investment in the Scottsville plant has been a good move for them, too. Their product continues to grow, and they’ve been a great part of the community. This is great news for us.”