Campbell Soup Co. is to expand its Goldfish cracker production at its site in Utah.
The US group is spending approximately $160m on the project, which it said is due to increasing consumer demand for the snacks.
Campbell is adding a new line to the site in Richmond, which will increase the bakery’s output of Goldfish by 50%. The company said the line will “produce over 5m Goldfish per hour or 1,500 Goldfish every second”.
“Goldfish is an iconic brand that is quickly approaching a billion-dollar business, and this investment demonstrates our commitment to the growth of our brands and the communities where we operate,” Chris Foley, the president of Campbell Snacks, said.
The move will create over 80 new jobs. More than 400 staff work across the site and at operations in nearby Logan.
Campbell expects the new line to be operational by the end of 2024.
The upgrade includes the construction of an onsite flour mill that will be adjacent and connected to the bakery, built by Utah Flour Milling.
The mill is a partnership between Texas-based agricultural company, PHM Brands’ Panhandle Milling and Tokyo-headquartered flour milling enterprise Nippn Corporation. The new mill will be separately owned and operated.
Campbell said the mill will “reduce the site’s greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating over 2,200 trucks per year transporting the flour from mill to bakery“.
In May, Campbell sold its Emerald Nuts brand to Flagstone Foods.
The company had recently sold its Emerald Nuts brand to Flagstone Foods. Campbell acquired the Emerald business as part of the acquisition of US snacks manufacturer Snyder’s-Lance in 2018. It formed its Campbell Snacks branch with the buyout.
In January, Campbell announced plans to close two snacks division office locations in the US. Campbell’s decision to close the offices in North Carolina and Connecticut was part of a plan to consolidate activities at its headquarters in Camden, New Jersey.
