can you tour the smuckers factory

J.M. Smucker Company Store and Cafe

With a name like Smucker’s® , it has to be good. It is even better when you visit the store and café where you can shop, dine and purchase gift baskets with a wide array of familiar products. All the goodness of Smucker’s® is at the store and café.

The J.M. Smucker Co. Store and Café

For over 120 years The J.M. Smucker Co. has made quality products that, over time, have become staples in family pantries across North America. At The J.M. Smucker Co. Store and Café, visitors can experience our family-operated Company’s rich history, while browsing our full selection of products and merchandise right here in Orrville, OH, where our Company originated.

Minutes from Amish Country and less than one hour from Cleveland, the Store and Café has something for everyone to enjoy.

Over time, we’ve grown from a fruit spreads company to a business that sells not just jams and jellies, but coffee, snacking items and pet food and snacks. Our Hallway of History showcases that evolution through video, props and imagery, with key highlights featuring the Smucker family, who has led our Company for the entire 120+ years we’ve been in business. It started with Jerome Monroe Smucker selling apple butter from the back of a horse-drawn wagon in 1897, and the legacy continues with Jerome’s great-great-grandson Mark, our current President and CEO.

Guests can browse a full selection of our products, from our namesake Smucker’s® fruit spreads and leading brands like Jif® peanut butter, Folgers® coffee and Milk-Bone® dog snacks, to new favorites like Smuckers’s® Uncrustables, Café Bustelo® and Rachael Ray® Nutrish®. Our store also features a number of unique gift items and souvenirs for the whole family, even your furry family members. Want to take home a gift like no other? Our SweetPics® program allows you to create a personalized jar of Smucker’s® or Jif® with your own picture on the label!

Finally, visitors can stop by our on-site café to enjoy, tasty sandwiches, a wide variety of baked desserts, and so much more from our friendly staff. Don’t forget to top of your meal at our ice cream bar! *

For more information on The J.M. Smucker Co. Store and Café, please visit us at jmsmucker.com/smucker-café-store or give us a call at 330-684-1500. We look forward to hosting your next adventure!

* Please note that our Café , ice cream bar and tasting station may be temporarily closed due to Covid-19 restrictions. The store remains open

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The J.M. Smucker Company Store

• Store Hours: Monday-Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Closed Sundays
• Address: ( Map It ) 333 Wadsworth Road in Orrville, Ohio
• Phone: 330-684-1500
• Web:  Click here

The J.M. Smucker Company Store in Orville:  With a name like Smucker’s, it has to be good. ® And nowhere is this more true than at The J.M. Smucker Company Store and Café. Located in Orrville, Ohio, The J.M. Smucker Company Store and Café originally opened in 1999 and was recently expanded and renovated. Now twice its original size, the store retains its classic timber frame barn structure and is the premier showcase for The J.M. Smucker Company’s entire family of brands, including Smucker’s®, Jif®, Crisco®, Pillsbury®, Hungry Jack® and more.

The fabulous new café serves up fresh, tasty treats made with the company’s own branded ingredients, delicious pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven and mouthwatering sundaes topped with heavenly Smucker’s toppings. The store is packed with exclusive branded merchandise and one-of-a-kind gifts, including the Gift Basket Design Center, where you can create your own custom gift basket – the perfect gift for any occasion.

You’ll also want to take a journey from 1897 to the present day at The J.M. Smucker Company museum, where you’ll experience how the company started and how it continues to evolve today.

Finally, be sure to visit smuckers.com for a schedule of special events at the store, including classes, concerts and celebrity guests.

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10 Fantastic Factory Tours You Can Only Take In Ohio

April is the Ohio staff writer for Only in Your State. She is an Ohio native with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. With more than 10 years of writing experience and a background in news reporting for Ohio newspapers, she's published pieces in multiple print and online publications. When she's not on deadline or chasing after her toddler, she's hunting for hidden gems in Ohio or getting lost in a good book.

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Here in Ohio, we make more things than you likely realize.

If you’re looking for unique day trip ideas for the summer, consider touring one of Ohio’s fascinating factories. From ice cream production to automobile manufacturing, there are so many national products being made right here in Ohio. Here are 10 fantastic factory tours you can only take in Ohio:

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Have you taken any of these tours before? If so, please share your photos and experiences with us!

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J.M. Smucker House

Heartland trail.

Pictured from this angle, you can see the corporate campus of the J.M. Smucker Company behind the Jerome M. Smucker House.

Photo by:  Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr  |  CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

This house was built by Jerome Monroe Smucker, the founder of The J.M. Smucker Company, whose corporate headquarters are set back behind the house just down Strawberry Lane (of course). [1] Smucker's remains a family-run company, and the house is often used for corporate functions. It was originally built in 1907, 10 years after Smucker built a cider mill and began selling apple cider and apple butter. [2] The mill was just one of J.M.’s businesses; a 1987 article about the company in the New York Times Magazine reported that "[a]t one point, Jerome had four farms going, as well as a creamery and a penmanship tutoring business.” [3] On the 1900 census, he reported his occupation as “Salesman Creamery Supplies,” but by 1910, the census enumerator recorded his occupation as “manufacturer” and his industry as “apple butter factory.” [4] The J.M. Smucker Company was officially incorporated in 1921, and, 100 years later, the fifth generation of Smuckers oversees a company that produces far more than apple butter. [5] You may be familiar with their fruit jellies and ice cream toppings, but Smucker’s now also makes Jif Peanut Butter, Crisco, Folger’s Coffee, several brands of pet foods, and many other brands of snacks and coffee you regularly see in your grocery store.

The Smuckers moved out of this house in 1948. Although it’s not open to the public, Smucker’s has a retail store and cafe  just a few miles south of the house where, in addition to buying Smucker’s products, you can learn a little more about the company’s history.

• [1] “Defining Moments in Our History,” The J.M. Smucker Company, https://www.jmsmucker.com/about .
• [2] “Defining Moments in Our History"; Ohio History Connection, “Jerome M. Smucker,” Ohio History Central, https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Jerome_M._Smucker .
• [3] Andrew H. Malcolm, “Of Jams And A Family,” The New York Times Magazine , November 15, 1987, 83.
• [4] 1900 U.S. census, Village of Orville, Baughman Township, Wayne County, Ohio, page 19, enumeration district 0139, dwelling 397, family 403, Jerome Monroe Smucker, Ancestry.com, accessed June 30, 2020; 1910 U.S. census, Village of Orville, Baughman Township, Wayne County, Ohio, page 10A, enumeration district 0157, dwelling 237, family 251, Jerome M Smucker, Ancestry.com, accessed June 30, 2020.
• [5] “Defining Moments in Our History."

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Smucker’s is building a $1.1B facility in McCalla, which means a lot of jobs (and Uncrustables)

• LAST UPDATED 11/18/21

You know what they say, “with a name like Smucker’s…it has to be good.” Well, Birmingham, we’ve got some good news to share. The lunchbox favorite is headed to McCalla, and they’re bringing 750 new jobs with them. Read on for the full details.

Household name headed to town

If you love Uncrustables, you’re in good company. The demand for these frozen handheld sandwiches is so high that the company is aiming to more than double their current production capacity.

And that’s where we come in. Jefferson County (specifically McCalla) will be home to a new $1.1B manufacturing facility that will help them meet their goal of $1B in annual net sales of Uncrustables over the next five years. Now that is a lot of PB&J.

“Our  Smucker’s® Uncrustables®  brand continues to be one of the fastest growing in our portfolio and in the food sector more broadly. We are proud of the success the brand has achieved, due in no small part to the tremendous efforts of our employees, and we’re excited to take advantage of the opportunities and growth our investments will enable. We appreciate the support we have received from the state of Alabama and Jefferson County officials, and we look forward to being a part of the greater Birmingham community.” —Mark Smucker, President and CEO, The J.M. Smucker Co.

Smucker’s construction timeline

According to The Office of Governor Kay Ivey, construction of the facility will begin no later than January 2022 at the JeffMet Industrial Park. Production is expected to begin in 2025.

The construction is planned in three separate phases, and will create up to 750 jobs. The J.M. Smucker Co. shared that the investment and job creation will coordinate with the completion of established benchmarks for each stage of the construction.

This is new site is a win-win for the company and Birmingham-area job seekers.

“It is a strategic move for Smucker to leverage Birmingham’s strong distribution and logistics network, central location in the Southeast and a shovel-ready site to seize an opportunity for one of its fastest-growing brands. We are very excited to welcome them to Birmingham and Jefferson County and thank them for bringing jobs to our community that will change lives for the better.” — Ron Kitchens, CEO, the Birmingham Business Alliance

Making history

If this seems like a major project, it’s because it is. This morning, the Jefferson County Commission announced that it is the largest economic development project in the history of our region.

The J.M. Smucker Co. has purchased approx. 225 acres at JeffMet, which leaves up to 300 acres remaining at the industrial complex. Smucker’s will be in good company, as they join additional projects including AMR Capital, Norfolk Southern and Gulf Distributing, which are all currently under construction.

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Madison Croxson

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An inside look at Smuckers

Last week, I had the opportunity to take a trip out to Orville, Ohio with a few other bloggers and take an inside look at the Smuckers company . Smuckers is known for their jam, but what you might not know is that the family-owned company actually owns quite a few other brands, including Crisco, Jif, Folgers and Eagle Brand, just to name a few of the most well-known. The event that Smuckers put on for us was just wonderful, giving us a preview of some new products, a change to test out some of their existing products, tour their test kitchens and even take a trip through the factory while they made a batch of seasonal Apple Cider Butter, the recipe that started the Smuckers brand off almost 100 years ago.

We started off our tour at the Smuckers store, pictured above. The store is a fully operational store and cafe, but it is also a huge showcase for all kinds of Smuckers products that you won’t necessarily see in stores because they’re regional or simply on limited distribution. There were all the standard jams, of course, but also organic jams and more gourmet lines, such as (my favorite) Smuckers Orchards Finest . I’m a sucker for food shopping no matter where I am, and it was fun to look through all their products. The store had been decorated for Christmas and cleverly incorporated jam into several of their decorations . The chandelier pictured here is made with jars of jam!

Smuckers is still owned by the same family that started it so many years ago and Richard Smucker is a 4th generation Smucker, as well as the current co-CEO with his brother, Tim. Mark Smucker, to my right in this photo, is a 5th generation family member. Richard and Mark, along with Mark’s sister, were kind enough to join us for breakfast, chat about our blogs and point us in the direction of some of their favorite items, like Tart Cherry Preserves (yum, by the way)

After tooling around the store for a bit longer, and taking a peek a the little Smuckers history museum in the back, we headed over to their headquarters to begin the tour in earnest. We sat through a presentation about some of the different products that Crisco offers and some of the benefits of using shortening. I personally like it for greasing pans, but didn’t know that it is kosher, and both dairy free and gluten free. I also wasn’t really aware that Crisco has several types of olive oil, sourced primarily from Spain. We were treated to an olive oil taste testing, and given a bit of coaching on the flavors – fruitiness and bitterness, primarily – they look for when creating a blend. Olive oil tasting is similar to a wine tasting in that you’re supposed to slurp, swirl and spit out the sample. They were all very good and if I had just had some bread for dipping, I wouldn’t have left any in my sample cups!

Following the tasting, we got down to some real food. The test kitchen had prepared an entire holiday meal for us using Smuckers products, including two turkeys. The food was great and really put me in the mood to start doing my own holiday cooking, but even better was that the test kitchen had gone out of their way to bake up a batch of one of my recipes! On the table for everyone to try was a batch of the Jelly Donut Muffins from The Baking Bites Cookbook !

Following the feast, we were treated to a hands-on cake and cookie decorating activity, as well as a coaching session with some of the photographers and stylists who work with Smuckers, shooting their products on a regular basis. They gave us a few tips on what to look for when styling our own food at home: aim for warm lighting, use tweezers to fill in any holes or pull out errant crumbs, and use different combinations of plate styles, plate colors and cloth for interesting photo backgrounds.

After lunch, we headed back into the test kitchen for some more product samples, this time of some of the “healthier” options that the company puts out, including Jif with Omega-3 and some reduced sugar Pillsbury baking mixes. They’re working on some gluten free mixes, but it was interesting to find out that Jif is actually already gluten free (not something I would ordinarily think about, but great to know for those interested in gluten free cooking!). We also got to go into the test kitchen itself, where head chef Cynthia gave us an impromptu turkey carving lesson while we checked out their store of spices, their appliances and some of the samples they were working on that had been left out.

Finally, we were able to get to one of the things I most wanted to do on my visit: take a tour of the factory. The experience was like being inside an episode of the Food Network TV show Unwrapped. Their factory runs 24 hours a day and tours aren’t a normal part of the agenda. We had to don special, and very stylish, outfits (see above photo) to keep both us and the jam safe. I can’t understand why I was the only one who wanted to have a photo taken in my factory-tour outfit. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take the camera inside to take pictures of the step-by-step process, but it was a real treat to see them making apple cider butter from start to finish and an even bigger treat to be able to smell the sweet, slightly spicy aroma all over the grounds while they worked. It was a great way to end the day.

The other bloggers who attended included Jenny from Picky Palate , Erin from 5 Dollar Dinners , Nikki from Art and Lemons , Tanya from Mommy Goggles , Shannon from The Mommy Files , Jennifer from The Dirty Shirt , Stacy from Mommy Central and Amanda from Mommy Mandy . Be sure to take a look at their blogs for their perspectives on the event and even more photos of the activities. I put up a lot more photos in a Flickr gallery that is worth a peek if you’re interested in seeing even more behind-the-scenes shots. I had a great time eating, learning and visiting with everyone during the trip. Hopefully there will be a part 2 sometime in the not-too-distant future with even more backstage info to share!

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Marie Callender's Deep Dish Pie Crusts, reviewed

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That chandelier is insane! I love it.

Nutmeg Nanny

Wow look at that chandelier! How awesome:) Glad you had fun in Ohio:)

Carole Resnick

I am only a one hour drive to the store. We go several times a year to stock the pantry.

Ciaochowlinda

That is very cool that you got to tour that place.

By the way. There is a little town, Kidron, about 30 minutes south of Smuckers. They have the most wonderful (and huge) hardware store (lehmans) that has everything. If you are in or close to Orville you can do them both in one fun day.

The Purple Foodie

The chandelier looks so cool! What a fun trip to smuckers

Great! Love the chandelier!! How did the other people liked your jelly donut muffins??

Stephanie P.

I live 10 minutes from Orrville. My dad and I were just talking last week about how odd it was that we never took Smucker factory tours for field trips growing up. Though our city, Wooster, and Orrville have a lifelong rivalry so perhaps that had something to do with it! 🙂

Glad you enjoyed your experience, we’re very proud to have such a great company nearby.

Dolce – I’m glad you asked (didn’t want to sound too much like I was tooting my own horn!), but they all really liked them! I think that the test kitchen staff really liked them, as well.

Your pics turned out great! Glad you had fun.

Awsome pictures. Tons of good food everywhere. Looks like it was a blast

Can one tour your factory in Ohio? If so, what are the hours, days, etc.? Thanks, Jane Z

Rhoda Hiller

I used to take my mom to the Smucker’s Store. We always had such a good time there. Seeing this Pin brought back some good memories. My mom passed away in 2013 and I miss her so much. Thank you for the walk down memory lane. Rhoda

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Smucker's Factory In Longmont Will Create Hundreds Of Jobs (& Millions Of Uncrustables)

July 31, 2019 / 11:56 AM MDT / CBS Colorado

LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4) - Smucker's unveiled a new plant for its Uncrustables food product on Wednesday in Colorado. The factory in Longmont will create 200 new jobs and millions of the popular freezable peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

President and CEO Mark Smucker and Gov. Jared Polis, were both at the unveiling of the plant which had been in the works for two years.

The facility's sandwiches will help Smucker's double the production of Uncrustables. Right now they're only made in Kentucky.

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9 top factory tours in Ohio, where Wilson footballs, Honda Accords, KitchenAid mixers are made

• Published: Aug. 06, 2015, 2:54 p.m.
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Airstream trailers are made in Jackson Center, northwest of Columbus. (Photo courtesy of Airstream)

Who says we don’t make anything in Ohio anymore? Not the workers at the Wilson Football Factory in Ada. Not the employees at Honda’s Marysville Auto Plant. Not the folks who make American Whistles in Columbus.

Doubtful? Take a trip and see for yourself.

While the majority of factories in Ohio keep their doors closed to the public, a handful of manufacturers encourage visitors.

We’ve compiled a list here of nine factories in Ohio that offer tours to the public – places that make everything from KitchenAid mixers to high-end campers to baseball bats.

Want to see what’s (still) made in Ohio? Here’s where to go:

Honda Accords coming off the assembly line at the Marysville Auto Plant northwest of Columbus.

Honda Manufacturing of Ohio

Marysville Auto Plant, Marysville

Making Hondas in Ohio since 1982, this plant just started offering tours early this year – reservations required. Guests begin their tour at the new Honda Heritage Center , which features some of the company's earliest cars, plus vehicles of the future (including Miimo, the robotic lawnmower).

A HondaJet, plus other vehicles, on display at the Honda Heritage Center in Marysville, northwest of Columbus.

Jonathan Quilter, The Columbus Dispatch

After the museum visit, guests are escorted into the Marysville Auto Plant, which produces the Honda Accord, the Acura TLX and the Acura ILX, and employs more than 4,000. To schedule a visit: 937-644-6888. For more information: tinyurl.com/hondaheritage

The Airstream factory in Jackson Center, Ohio.

Mike Arzt/Courtesy Airstream

Airstream, Jackson Center

For a vehicle with a bed and a bathroom, check out the Airstream factory in Jackson Center (just 40 miles northwest of Marysville). These iconic campers, easily recognized by their aluminum bodies, have been made in northwest Ohio since the early 1950s. “Come see how we really do put every one of those rivets in by hand,” says the Airstream website.

Free tours are offered at 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, close-toed shoes required. For information: 1-877-596-6111 or airstream.com/company/tours .

KitchenAid's iconic stand mixers are all made in Greenville, near Dayton.

Darke County Visitors Bureau

KitchenAid, Greenville

KitchenAid has been making its popular stand mixers in Greenville – and only Greenville – for decades. In recent years, the company, owned by Whirlpool, added hand mixers to the production line here, too.

Before or after touring the factory, visitors can take a cooking class, visit the mixer museum and check out current KitchenAid offerings in the retail store.

Factory tours are $5 and are offered at 12:30 Tuesday through Friday, at 1701 KitchenAid Way; the retail facility is downtown, at 423 South Broadway. For information: 1-888-886-8318 or kitchenaid.com/experience-retail-center

Making leather footballs at the Wilson factory in Ada, Ohio.

Wilson Sporting Goods

Wilson Football Factory, Ada

Ada, near Lima, is home to the world’s only dedicated football factory, part of Wilson Sporting Goods Co. The factory produces 4,000 leather balls a day – 700,000 a year – including every ball that’s appeared in an NFL game since 1941.

Making Wilson footballs in Ada, Ohio.

Production is all done by hand – cut, sewn, steamed and laced -- by 120 employees. Tours are offered only once per week; dates and times vary. Admission is $5. For information: 419-634-9901 or wilson.com/en-us/football/nfl/wilson-and-the-nfl/factory .

Phoenix Bats in Plain City, Ohio.

Phoenix Bats

Phoenix Bats, Plain City

Prefer baseball? Then head to Plain City, northwest of Columbus, where Phoenix Bats has been making its all-wood bats since 1996 (approved for use in the Big Leagues in 2000). Hour-long tours cover wood selection, computer-aided design, and working with pros.

Tours are offered Monday and Friday at 1:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Cost is $10 and includes a mini bat souvenir. Information:  phoenixbats.com or 1-877-590-6675.

Bill Kennedy, The Plain Dealer

American Whistle, Columbus

American Whistle Corp., north of downtown Columbus, is the only U.S. manufacturer of metal whistles. It’s a primary supplier to police officers, lifeguards, band directors and Boy Scouts.

Terry Gilliam, Associated Press

Forty-five minute public tours must be scheduled in advance, with a 15-person minimum (the company will combine groups). Cost is $4, and includes a souvenir whistle. For information: 1-800-876-2918 or americanwhistle.com .

Making washboards in Logan, Ohio.

Hocking Hills Tourism Association

Columbus Washboard Co., Logan

For a factory tour with an old-fashioned touch, head southeast from Columbus to Logan, home of the only manufacturer of washboards in the United States. The company, in existence since the late 19 th century, produces washboards for laundry use, as well as musical instruments, crafts and furniture.

Tours are offered at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday year-round, plus 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturdays May through October. Cost is $4. Information:  columbuswashboard.com or 740-380-3828.

Spangler Candy Co.

Spangler Candy Co., Bryan

The Spangler family has been making sweet treats in far northwestern Ohio for more than a century. Familiar brands include Dum Dums, Spangler Candy Canes and Circus Peanuts. Tours, aboard the Dum Dums Trolley, are offered 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday (Monday through Friday during the summer). Cost is $5. Due to FDA regulations, the tour does not go through the main kitchen area.

Peggy Turbett, The Plain Dealer

Also on site: the Spangler Store & Museum, with historical exhibits – and samples. Information:  spanglercandy.com or 1-888-636-4221.

Todd Biss Photography

Fannie May/Harry London Chocolates, Green

End your Made in Ohio tour in the sweetest possible way, with a guided walk through the Harry London chocolate factory in Green. (Harry London combined with Chicago-based Fanny May about 10 years ago; both are now owned by 1-800-Flowers.com.)

A timeline of the Harry London and Fannie May companies in Green, Ohio.

1-800-Flowers.com

Tours of the facility are offered 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and include a small movie covering the history of the company, an overview of the factory floor – plus lots of samples. The tour is free. Information:  fanniemay.com/chocolate-tour or 330-494-0833.

Ford F-150 pickup trucks on the assembly line at the Rouge plant in Dearborn, Michigan.

The Henry Ford

And one in Michigan

If you're in the Detroit area, don't miss a tour through the historic Ford Rouge Factory, which opened in the late 1910s and today produces the company's popular F-150 pickup trucks. Rouge tours are coordinated through the Henry Ford complex of attractions in Dearborn. Click  HERE for a complete story on the Ford Rouge Factory Tour.

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Central Kentucky’s factory tours offer a peek into dynamic manufacturing industries

by Shannon Clinton

February 26, 2019

There’s a lot of ground to cover at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc.’s Georgetown plant—more than 8 million square feet under roof, or the equivalent of about 170 football fields. Visitors will be relieved to hear, then, that the general tour isn’t a walking tour. After guests watch a short video about the company’s operations, a motorized tram zips them safely from one area to another. Along the way they get a firsthand look at human workers and robots fabricating enormous rolls of steel into parts. In several areas, humans and machines work together, with the machines doing the heavy lifting as humans guide components into place for assembly.

Toyota’s Georgetown plant, which produces 2,000 vehicles per day like the Camry and Avalon, is the nation’s first and the world’s largest Toyota manufacturing facility. The first vehicle here rolled off the line in 1988, with tours added a couple years later. About 35,000 visitors tour the plant annually, which begs the question: With all of that large-scale production happening and hundreds of employees working every day, why open up your manufacturing facility to tens of thousands of visitors?

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky uses trams to show guests around its more than 8-million-square-foot plant in Georgetown. 

Rick Hesterberg, manager of external affairs, sees two key advantages for the Georgetown Toyota plant to open its doors to the public. Visiting school groups provide students a firsthand look at the types of careers available there, he said, and tours also build brand awareness and spotlight the craftsmanship of team members to those considering buying a new vehicle.

During tours, some preconceptions will also likely change about what auto manufacturing entails, he said. The company’s Environmental Education Center Tour, for example, educates students on how manufacturing can reduce its impact on the environment, and how Toyota strives to protect and conserve natural resources. “This is what advanced manufacturing looks like today,” Hesterberg said. “It’s very different than it was 30 years ago.” Stay tuned: Hesterberg said a newly streamlined visitor registration process will also be unveiled soon.

Pour on the fun

Other Central Kentucky plants also offer a glimpse behind the curtains of their operations for little or no cost, including Ale-8-One in Winchester. Ale-8-One debuted in 1926 at the Clark County Fair and is today overseen by founder G.L. Wainscott’s great-great-nephew, Fielding Rogers, in a manufacturing plant that company has occupied since 1966. Fielding “still mixes up every batch of the secret formula by hand … and he still has his great-great uncle’s handwritten notes,” said marketing manager DeAnne Elmore.

Visitors to Ale-8-One’s facility in Georgetown see various parts of the production process. They can also enjoy a free Ale-8 as part of the tour.

Typical tour guests include school groups, church groups, professional tour groups and individuals, with Memorial Day to Labor Day being the busiest season. Elmore said the free tours, which Ale-8 has offered for about 15 years, pair video footage and archival materials with firsthand views of some the plant’s operations, within the guidelines of both health and OSHA regulations.

For Ale-8, the decision to offer factory tours goes hand-in-hand with its fun, accessible brand image and also helps reinforce its reputation as “Kentucky’s soft drink”—especially since guests can enjoy a free, freshly filled longneck bottle of Ale-8-One at the end of the tour. “It’s celebrating life’s simple pleasures, and that creates brand loyalty for us,” Elmore said. “It also champions the state, which we love. Without the loyalty from Kentuckians, we wouldn’t be as strong of a brand as we are.”

Elmore said the costs associated with the salaries of dedicated tour guides and all those free sodas are somewhat offset by gift-shop purchases, but overall they are an investment in the brand’s business goals and image.

Distilling the experience

Buffalo Trace Distillery, the oldest continuously operating distillery in America, offers several free, themed tours in addition to its general guided tour, called the Trace Tour. Visitors view an informational video, enter barrel houses where bourbon is aged and see other production areas before enjoying an opportunity to taste the product for themselves in the Buffalo Trace gift shop (ages 21 and older only with a valid ID, of course). Buffalo Trace also offers a Hard Hat Tour, National Historic Landmark Tour, Bourbon Barrel Tour and Ghost Tours, each lasting about an hour and including a complimentary tasting.

“We believe home places are a strong driver for building brand loyalty, and we love showing our visitors every day the passion and enthusiasm our team has for Buffalo Trace Distillery,” said spokesperson Amy Preske. “We hope when our guests return home, they will remember the stories we shared and have fond memories of their time spent with us.”

Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort offers a variety of free tours to educate guests on how the company makes its products. 

In the past fiscal year, visitors from all 50 states and 20 countries have visited Buffalo Trace, Preske said. Safety is a top priority. The distillery employs a full-time safety coordinator and security staff. Tour guides also routinely walk tour routes before welcoming guests.

Not every plant is set up for hosting or is able to offer public tours. The JIF Plant (J.M. Smucker Company) on Winchester Road, for example, decided against offering tours primarily for safety and food safety regulations. “Additionally, there are proprietary manufacturing techniques and equipment that could inadvertently be made public,” said spokesperson Frank Cirillo.

Having a (bourbon) ball

Rebecca Ruth Candy Tours & Museum in Frankfort—which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year—has opened its candy factory up for tours for about 15 years. Guests begin by watching a video about the origins of chocolate and how it’s made. They then tour the kitchen and factory areas and watch workers on the line apply finishing touches to candies and box the finished products. Lines on the floor denote boundaries guests can’t cross for sanitation and safety reasons, and photos and video aren’t allowed in some areas. After that comes the museum room, with historical artifacts and displays. The company touts itself as the creator of the Kentucky bourbon ball candy confection.

“In the summertime, we get people from all over the world just to take the tour and try the famous bourbon ball,” said Emily Noonan, retail manager and tour coordinator. If the free sample at the end of the tour isn’t enough, Rebecca Ruth’s gift shop sells about 50 varieties of candies that visitors can mix and match to make their own customized boxed assortment, as well as logo items such as keychains. “It not only builds brand loyalty but kids love it!” Noonan said of the experience.

Plan your plant tour

Toyota Motor Manufacturing

Kentucky, Inc., Georgetown

1001 Cherry Blossom Way,

Georgetown, KY 40324

www.toyotaky.com or call

(800) 866-4485. Free.

Ale-8-One, Winchester

25 Carol Road, Winchester, KY 40391

www.ale8one.com for online

registration and calendar with tour availability and FAQs or call

(859) 744-3484. Free.

Buffalo Trace Distillery

113 Great Buffalo Trace

Frankfort, KY 40601

www.buffalotracedistillery.com

or call (800) 654-8471. Free.

Rebecca Ruth Candy

Tours & Museum

116 E. Second St., Frankfort, KY 40601

www.rebeccaruthonline.com

Email [email protected], or call

502-223-8484. $5 per person,

children 5 and younger free.

Copyright Smiley Pete Publishing

• Smiley Pete Weekly

Smucker’s $340M Longmont plant opens

LONGMONT — With the opening of the new J.M. Smucker Co. (NYSE: SJM) Uncrustables manufacturing plant , Longmont is now home to the largest single capital investment in the company’s 122-year history. 

Smucker CEO Mark Smucker and Gov. Jared Polis were among those on hand Wednesday to celebrate the opening of the 430,000-square-foot, $340 million factory that will eventually employ about 500 people.

“This is a very significant milestone in our company’s history,” Smucker CEO Mark Smucker said during Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.

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The project, which was bolstered by a $6.5 million incentive package from Longmont and a roughly $3 million package from Weld County, broke ground in 2017. It is located at 2900 Peak Ave. on Longmont’s eastern edge within Weld County. 

“We would not be here today without the tremendous support we’ve received from the state, city, county and our economic-development partners,” Smucker said. 

The initial phase of the pant, which is the company’s first in Colorado, was completed within the last couple of weeks and is now operational. The second phase of construction will soon be underway. 

Longmont leaders expect the plant to generate more than $12 million in direct fiscal impact for the city and more than $200 million in overall regional economic impact over the next decade.

“Colorado truly is a great place for that [$340 million capital investment],” Polis said. “We’re going to make sure you see a return on that investment.”

He added: “Smucker’s decision to locate the plant in Colorado is a great example of our high quality of life, our collaborative business environment and our political cooperation of both parties from people who are about good jobs in our state.”

Uncrustables is one of Smucker’s fastest-growing brands, and the company expects to double production in the near future, Smucker said.

The peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, which have historically been manufactured only in Smucker’s Scottsville, Kentucky, plant, accounted for roughly $250 million in 2018 sales. The Kentucky factory cranks out more than 2 million Uncrustables every day.

“This [Longmont] plant is vital to our growth strategy,” Smucker said. “… The reason we have built this plant is because there is so much demand for the product. We could easily double the business when we launch our national advertising campaign.”

Smucker CEO Mark Smucker and Gov. Jared Polis were among those on hand Wednesday to celebrate the opening of the 430,000-square-foot, $340 million factory that will eventually employ about 500…

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4 Fantastic Factory Tours You Can Only Take In Northern California

F actory tours offer a unique opportunity to learn about the manufacturing process and gain insight into how products are made. Satisfy your intellectual curiosity by taking these factory tours in Northern California.

During these tours, you’ll learn about the inner workings of various industries, such as automotive, food and beverage, electronics, and much more. Tours often include interactive elements, like demonstrations, hands-on activities, and opportunities to ask questions to on-site experts. You’ll also hear anecdotes from employees and learn fun facts about the products.

1. Jelly Belly Factory– Fairfield

See how jelly beans are made at the jelly belly factory in fairfield., tours are available daily, but it’s best to come during the week if you can since the production floor will be buzzing with jelly belly employees making the candies., 2. il fiorello olive oil company– fairfield, il fiorello olive oil company is a family-owned business that produces olive oil from olives grown and processed on-site., farm and mill tours take place most days of the week and begin around 10 a.m. tours are about 2 hours long. reservations are required., 3. sierra nevada brewery– chico, learn all about craft beer production at the sierra nevada brewery in chico., tours are offered daily., 4. hilmar cheese company– hilmar, learn how cheese is made at hilmar cheese company in hilmar, california. hilmar is a small town located in california’s central valley. it’s about two hours from san francisco and 90 minutes from sacramento., guests can explore interactive, hands-on exhibits about cows, dairies, and cheese making..

For enthusiasts and collectors, factory tours can be especially enjoyable. On tours, visitors get behind-the-scenes access to areas that are not normally open to the public. Seeing everything involved to make the items you enjoy can give people a greater appreciation for everyday products.

Which Northern California factory tour would you like to take?

The post 4 Fantastic Factory Tours You Can Only Take In Northern California appeared first on Only In Your State ® .

Smucker's 5th-generation CEO said he had to earn his role — and his kids will, too

• Mark Smucker, the CEO of J. M. Smucker Company, said the company is a meritocracy.
• Smucker, a fifth-generation leader, worked outside the company and got a graduate degree before joining.
• Family members must work outside the company and preferably hold a graduate degree.

There are apparently no nepo babies at Smucker's. The CEO said he had to earn his seat and that his $12.3 billion company has rules in place to make sure family members get the right training before they come on board.

Mark Smucker is a fifth-generation leader at the Orville, Ohio-based J. M. Smucker, best known for its iconic Uncrustable sandwiches , Smucker's jam, and Jif peanut butter.

Smucker, 53, took over the CEO role from his uncle in 2016. In an interview with Fortune published Monday, he said he had to prove himself and earn a seat at the company's 128-year-old table.

"Being a family-run business provides cultural strength and a competitive advantage," he said. "J.M. Smucker is a meritocracy, and my journey here took a lot of twists and turns."

The CEO said he was not always keen to join the family business as a child. After college at William & Mary, he spent two years teaching eighth-grade science in Alabama. He later moved to Argentina to work in advertising for a year, his LinkedIn profile shows.

In between the two jobs, he pursued a management degree at Arizona State University's business school.

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He joined the family business in Argentina and led Smucker's development in South America, before moving to various divisions in the US during his 26 years at the company.

"As a family, we have rules," Smucker said. "One is that you've got to work outside the company no matter what. We prefer family members to also have a graduate degree. And definitely they need to have outside experience."

His remarks to Fortune echoed similar sentiments from his uncle Richard, who was CEO or co-CEO from 2001 to 2016. Richard Smucker said external experience "broadens their skill level and they bring back things to the company that we wouldn't see if they were at the company from the start."

Current chief Mark Smucker told Fortune that his two children will be subject to the same rules if they choose to join the company, which has about 6,000 employees globally.

"I want my kids to pursue their hopes and dreams, and if they are truly interested in this, I will help them enter the workforce and learn," he said.

J. M. Smucker is part of a small list of global firms with multi-generational succession. Among others is Danish toymaker Lego, whose current CEO Thomas Kirk is a fourth-generation business leader.

Many family-run companies are unable to make it to fourth and fifth generations because of a lack of succession planning. Just over 60% of US family businesses did not have a formal succession plan in place last year, according to a report from private-equity firm Brightstar Capital Partners.

In 2022, a New York Magazine cover story about Hollywood's so-called "nepo babies" launched the word into common use as shorthand to describe people who break into an industry on the heels of their parents' success.

Watch: Microsoft CEO unravels ChatGPT, ethical AI, and going bust

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