The J.M. Smucker Company facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The J.M. Smucker Company

Logo introduced in 2020
Headquarters in Orrville, Ohio
Type	Public
Traded as	NYSE: SJM S&P 500 component
Industry	Food Beverage
Founded	1897; 128 years ago (1897) in Orrville, Ohio, U.S.
Founder	Jerome Monroe Smucker
Headquarters	Orrville, Ohio , U.S.
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Mark Smucker (Chairman, President, and CEO)
Products	Consumer foods, pet food, coffee
Revenue	US$8.17 billion (2020)
Number of employees	7,300 (2020)
Subsidiaries	Big Heart Pet Brands Hostess Brands

The J.M. Smucker Company, often called Smuckers, is an American company that makes many popular foods and drinks. Its main office is in Orrville, Ohio. The company started in 1897 by making apple butter.

Today, Smuckers has three main parts: foods for people, pet foods, and coffee. Their most famous brand, Smucker's, sells fruit preserves, peanut butter, syrups, frozen crustless sandwiches (like Uncrustables), and ice cream toppings. Other well-known brands include Jif peanut butter, Folgers coffee, and Meow Mix cat food. In 2023, Smuckers bought Hostess Brands, which makes Twinkies and other snacks.

The Story of Smuckers

How Smuckers Began (1897–1958)

The J.M. Smucker Company was started in 1897 by Jerome Monroe Smucker. He was born in 1858 in Orrville, Ohio, and worked as a farmer for most of his life. In 1897, Jerome built a mill to make cider.

The company says that Jerome used apples from local trees planted by Johnny Appleseed many years before. Jerome made apple butter and sold it from the back of his horse-drawn wagon.

In 1921, the company officially became a business. By 1928, they were selling preserves and jellies in Ohio and nearby states. In 1935, Jerome's oldest son, Willard, opened a plant in Washington state to prepare apples. These apples were then sent to Orrville to be cooked.

Smucker's started using its special glass jar in 1939. By 1940, they began selling ice cream toppings. Two years later, their products were sold all over the country. During World War II, the company faced challenges like not having enough workers or supplies. In 1946, Smucker's products were given a "U.S. Grade A Fancy" rating for their high quality.

Growing Across the Country (1959–1984)

In 1959, Smuckers became a "public company," meaning people could buy shares of the company. The next year, they opened a new factory in California to make more products. Paul Smucker became the company's president in 1960.

In 1965, J.M. Smucker shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange. This is a big stock market where companies trade their shares. In 1963, Smuckers bought another jam and jelly company called Mary Ellen.

Between 1973 and 1980, Smuckers worked to save money and make more profit. They bought factories in other states and made their packing operations more efficient. By 1980, J.M. Smucker was the top jam and jelly company in the United States. They held more than 25% of the market.

In 1981, Timothy Smucker became president. The company bought Magic Shell ice cream topping in 1982. In 1984, Smuckers bought a juice company called Knudsen & Sons.

Expanding and Adding Brands (1980s–2016)

In the late 1980s, Smuckers started to grow internationally under CEO Richard Smucker. They bought brands in Canada, Australia, and Europe. In 1988, they bought the Canadian toppings brand Shirriff. By 1993, 8% of Smucker's sales came from outside the U.S.

In 1994, Smuckers bought Laura Scudder's peanut butter and After the Fall juice company. Smucker's also helps sponsor the annual Peanut Butter Festival in New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This is because a Smucker's peanut butter factory was a major employer there.

In 1998, Smuckers bought Adams peanut butter. They also bought the company that made the Incredible Uncrustables frozen crustless sandwich. Smuckers then renamed the product Uncrustables. In 2002, J.M. Smucker acquired Jif peanut butter and Crisco cooking oil.

By 2004, Smuckers was still based in Orrville, Ohio, and had been run by the same family for four generations. The company was even named one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" by Fortune magazine. In 2004, they bought International Multifoods Corporation. This deal added brands like Pillsbury, Hungry Jack, Robin Hood Flour, and Bick's pickles.

In 2008, J.M. Smucker joined the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. This means it became one of the 500 largest companies in the U.S. That year, Smuckers also bought the food part of Knott's Berry Farm. On November 6, 2008, Smuckers bought the Folgers coffee brand from Procter & Gamble for $3.3 billion. This deal doubled the size of J.M. Smucker.

In 2010, Smuckers bought Rowland Coffee Roasters, which makes Latin coffee brands. In 2015, they bought Big Heart Pet Brands for $5.8 billion. This added popular pet food brands like Milk Bone, Meow Mix, and Kibbles ‘n Bits. Also in 2015, Smuckers teamed up with Keurig to make K-Cup packs of Dunkin' coffee. Mark Smucker became the CEO in 2016.

Recent Years (2017–present)

Smucker's Canada, Markham, Ontario

In 2018, Smuckers planned to buy the Wesson cooking oil brand, but the deal was stopped. The government worried that Smuckers would control too much of the cooking oil market. Smuckers decided to focus more on pet food, coffee, and snacks. So, in 2018, they sold their baking business in the U.S., including brands like Pillsbury.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Smucker employees started working from home. The company helped its employees by providing pay and benefits. By August 2020, sales of Smucker's brand products had increased by 25%. Uncrustables sales jumped by 35%, and Crisco sales went up by 50%.

In September 2020, the company introduced a new logo and look. This was to help people tell the difference between "J.M. Smucker Co." (the company) and "Smucker's" (the food brand). In December 2020, Smuckers sold Crisco to another company. This was part of their plan to sell off baking products in the U.S.

Hostess Brands Acquisition

On September 11, 2023, J.M. Smucker announced they would buy Hostess Brands for $5.6 billion. This big deal brought many snack brands like Twinkies, CupCakes, and DingDongs to Smuckers. It also added seven factories and 3,000 employees. The purchase was completed in November 2023.

Smucker's Current Brands

J.M. Smucker's main business areas are foods for people, pet food and snacks, and coffee. The company is well-known for making fruit spreads, peanut butter, ice cream toppings, and natural foods. The Smucker's brand makes its own fruit preserves, jelly, peanut butter (like Smucker's Goober PB&J), syrups, ice cream toppings (including Smucker's Magic Shell), and Uncrustables crustless sandwiches.

Here are some of the brands Smucker's owns today:

See Also

In Spanish: Smuckers para niños

• List of coffee companies