The J.M. Smucker Company

History

The J.M. Smucker Company was founded in 1897 by Jerome Monroe Smucker. The company produces many types of jellies, jams, and other food items. Jerome was born on December 5, 1858 in Orrville, Ohio. Much of his life was spent as a farmer in Orrville. In 1897 Jerome built a cider mill that was located in Orrville. Fruit that was used was from trees that Johnny Appleseed had planted in the early nineteenth century. Later, he prepared apple butter and sold it from the back of a horse-drawn wagon. The company was incorporated in 1921.

The J. M. Smucker Company is a marketer and manufacturer of fruit spreads, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice cream toppings, sweetened condensed milk, and health and natural foods and beverages. J.M. Smucker company brands include Smucker's, Santa Cruz Organic, Jif, Laura Scudder's, Crisco, Pillsbury, R.W. Knudsen Family, Hungry Jack, White Lily, and Martha White in the United States, along with Bick's, Five Roses, Robin Hood, and Shirriff in Canada.

The J. M. Smucker Company has been headquartered in Orrville, Ohio, since its founding, and has been family-run for four generations. Since 1998, the company has appeared on FORTUNE Magazine's annual listing of the "100 Best Companies to Work For in the United States", ranking number one in 2004.

In May 2008, Smucker's announced it had bought the food division of Knott's Berry Farm from ConAgra Foods (Cedar Fair continues to own the theme park itself).

On June 4, 2008, Smucker's announced it would purchase the Folgers coffee brand division from Procter & Gamble for $3.3 billion. Completion of the sale was announced on November 6, 2008.

Throughout 2012, Smucker's contributed $485,000 to a $46-million political campaign known as the "Coalition Against The Costly Food Labeling Proposition, sponsored by Farmers and Food Producers". This organization was set up to oppose a citizen's initiative in California, known as Proposition 37, demanding mandatory labeling of foods containing genetically modified ingredients. About 70% of the funding for the initiative was provided by a PAC and by companies with financial interests in the organic foods industry, with most of the remainder coming from a handful of wealthy individuals. Following rejection of the proposition in the November 2012 referendum, organizers called for a boycott of companies funding the campaign to defeat the referendum.

Past and present slogans

"With a name like Smucker's, it has to be good!"

"Smucker will make you pucker!"

"If you find a better jelly, you buy it!"

"Smucker Company, the brand you can trust"

"There ain't no place like Smucker's!"

"The only brand of jams that can make a piece of bread lively!"

"If you're hungry, Smucker's is the way to go!"

"Smucker's may be yummy, your tummy may be too, but your grocer's freezer, is not far from you!"

"Bread, jam and jelly, in your belly, lick your spoon and cut your bread, then you will be Smucker's well fed"

"Smucker's is better than Welch's"

Johnny Carson, former host of The Tonight Show, once introduced his sponsor on air as "With a name like Smucker's, it had better be good!"

Products

Jam, jelly, and preserves

Dickinson's Gourmet Preserves

King Kelly Orange Marmalade

Shirriff marmalade (Canada)

Zest Sweet Mustard Pickles

Fruit Butter

Jam

Double Fruit

Low Sugar

Preserves

Simply Fruit

Sugar Free

Organic

Peanut butter

Jif

Jif to Go

Goober PB&J

Smucker's Natural

Smucker's Natural with Honey

Adams Natural

Laura Scudder Natural

Organic

Sandwiches

Grape PB&J

Strawberry PB&J

Grilled cheese

Peanut butter and honey on wheat

Peanut butter

Uncrustables

Ice cream toppings

Magic Shell

Microwaveable ice cream topping

Specialty ice cream topping

Spoonable ice cream topping

Sugar-free ice cream topping

Sundae syrups

Marshmallow spoonable ice cream topping

Specialty items

Crosse & Blackwell, traditional English foods

Fruit syrup

Habitant (Canada, vegetable items only; jams, fruit spreads and syrup is made by E.D. Smith)

Bicks

Milnot

Plate Scapers dessert topping

Specialty items

Oils and shortening

Crisco

Flour and baking mixes

Hungry Jack

Martha White

Pillsbury (General Mills licensee)

White Lily

Robin Hood Flour (in Canada)

Five Roses Flour (in Canada)

Juices, beverages, and sauces (natural and organic)

After the Fall

Natural Brew (Real Brew in Canada)

R.W. Knudsen Family (also apple butter and cranberry sauce)

Santa Cruz Organic (also peanut butter, chocolate and caramel sauce, and applesauces)

Tenderleaf Tea (from the makers of Folgers)

Coffee products

Folgers

Millstone

Dunkin' Donuts (licensed to manufacture in retail grocery market)

Kava

Cafe Bustelo/Cafe Pilon

Company acquisitions

Source:

1963

Mary Ellen (jams and jellies)

1979

Dickinson's (gourmet preserves and jellies)

1984

Knudsen & Sons (fruit and vegetable juices)

1988

Shirriff (dessert toppings and marmalades including Good Morning Marmalade) (Canada)

1989

Henry Jones Foods (jams and jellies) (Australia) sold in 2004 to SPC Ardmona.(Australia)

1994

Laura Scudder (peanut butter)

After the Fall (juices)

1998

Adams (peanut butter)

2002

Jif (peanut butter)

Crisco (oils)

2004

International Multifoods Corporation

Pillsbury (flour products and frosting)

Hungry Jack (pancake mixes, syrup, and potato side dishes)

Pet (milk products)

Martha White (baking mixes and ingredients)

Robin Hood Flour (Canada)

Red River Cereal (Canada)

Bick's (pickles and condiments) (Canada)

Golden Temple (Indian foods) (Canada)

2006

White Lily Brand (flour products)

2007

Eagle Family Foods

Eagle Brand/Borden (milk products)

None Such (mincemeat)

Kava (acid-neutralized coffee)

King Kelly Orange Marmalade

2008

Knott's Berry Farm (jams, jellies, and preserves)

Europe's Best (frozen fruit and vegetables) (Canada)

Carnation - Canadian brand (milk products) (Canada)

Folgers Coffee Company (coffee products)

2010

Millstone Coffee Company (coffee products)

Rowland Coffee Roasters (coffee products)

2011

Sara Lee North American foodservice coffee and tea operations (coffee products)

2015

Big Heart Pet Brands