The state of Ohio has awarded up to $2.5 million to the J.M. Smucker Co. to support a new research and development facility in Orrville. The plant is part of the company’s three-pronged effort to expand its popular Uncrustables brand.
A $1 billion plant now under construction in McCalla and expansion of the firm’s plant in Colorado are the other two elements in the brand expansion. The McCalla plant, announced at the end of 2021, is among the biggest industrial announcements ever in Jefferson County, with an anticipated 750 workers.
The Uncrustables brand accounted for $500 million in annual sales this year, the Ohio governor’s office said, and the company anticipates $1 billion in annual sales when projects in process are complete.
Smucker’s was founded in Orrville, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine reminisced about its roots in announcing the new R&D facility: “Smucker’s has been part of the fabric of Ohio for more than a century,” said DeWine. “From selling apple butter on a horse-drawn wagon in 1897 to laying the groundwork for a new research and development facility in 2022 – we’re grateful that Smucker’s legacy will continue to grow in Ohio.”
Tina Floyd, senior vice president and general manager of consumer foods with Smucker’s, added, “We are excited to support the momentum of our Uncrustables brand and our continued work to meet the unprecedented demand for the product through this new R&D facility, which we anticipate going live in the fall of 2023. The support of local leadership has been greatly appreciated as we have worked to coordinate plans on this new facility supporting not only one of the fastest growing brands in our portfolio but one of the fastest-growing brands in the category.”
