Campbell Soup Company Invests $40M In Ohio Expansion

The company's investment in its Willard, OH manufacturing facility expanded Goldfish production and added 40 new jobs.

Campbell Soup Company has invested $40 million in its Willard, OH manufacturing facility to expand Goldfish production capacity to meet increased demand for the product across North America.

The new line, which features a new oven and additional packaging capabilities, is the largest of its kind across the Campbell Snacks portfolio and can produce 11 million individual crackers per day, bringing the Willard bakery’s capacity up to 50 million Goldfish crackers each day. The expansion also adds more than 40 new jobs at the facility.Goldfish

“With this added capacity, we are better able to meet the ongoing consumer demand for this beloved product, especially as we head into the key back-to-school season,” said Valerie Oswalt, Executive Vice President and President Campbell Snacks. “None of this would have been possible without the team’s extraordinary efforts to safely and effectively complete this project one month ahead of schedule, despite the challenges.”

Installation for the new line was already underway when the COVID-19 pandemic began impacting North America in March. The project was temporarily paused as new protocols were put in place to ensure the project teams’ safety, including requiring quarantines and testing for out-of-state team members traveling to the site for installation and quality testing. Where travel wasn’t possible, engineers used remote communications tools to walk through assembly. The new line began operations in July, well ahead of schedule.

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The new Goldfish line at Campbell Soup Company’s bakery in Willard, OH.

Willard, OH, population 6,000, is the site of the company’s largest Goldfish bakery, referred to as the Goldfish Capital of the World. The bakery employs 700 and plays an integral part in making Goldfish America’s #1 kids snack cracker*. 

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