JM Smucker Progressing with New Plant Construction in Kentucky

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). The J.M. Smucker Company (NYSE: SJM) (Orrville, Ohio) is progressing with construction activity on a new "Uncrustables" thaw and serve peanut butter & jelly sandwich production facility in Scottsville, Kentucky.

On a 50-acre site in Allen County, Smucker's is constructing a $51 million, 150,000 square foot state-of-the-art plant to meet growing demand for the companies "Uncrustables" sandwiches that were introduced to the market in 1998 and are available in retail grocery and club stores, as well as through school lunch programs.

The Dennis Group (Springfield, Mass) has been selected to provide procurement, engineering and construction services, and the company is currently working on the building shell in hope of having the structure enclosed by the winter. Once completed, multiple production lines will be installed at the plant with the first line becoming operational by May of 2004.

Additional lines will be installed through July of 2004 when the entire facility is scheduled to be completed and running at full capacity.

Once completed, the facility is expected to bring approximately 150 new jobs to the Scottsville area and contribute $4 million per year in wages and benefits.

The "Uncrustables" plant will be Smucker's second plant in Kentucky joining a Jif plant in Lexington, Kentucky that Smucker's acquired when purchasing the peanut butter line from Procter & Gamble.

The J.M. Smucker Company was founded in 1897 when the Company's namesake and founder sold his first product, apple butter, from the back of a horse-drawn wagon. Today, the Company is the market leader in fruit spreads, ice cream toppings, health and natural foods beverages, and natural peanut butter in North America.