The JM Smucker Co is planning to construct an R&D facility on its Orrville campus that will support the growth of the Uncrustables brand.

The 29,000-square-foot lab in Ohio will test new product innovation and examine opportunities to boost manufacturing productivity.

“We are excited to support the momentum of our Uncrustables brand and our continued work to meet the unprecedented demand for the product through this new R&D facility, which we anticipate going live in the fall of 2023,” said Tina Floyd, senior vice president and general manager, consumer foods at JM Smucker.

The project is set to receive up to $1 million from the JobsOhio R&D Center Grant programme, and up to $1.5 million from the Ohio Department of Development’s Research and Development Investment Loan programme.

J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio president and CEO, added: “The new, cutting-edge R&D facility in Orrville will advance product development for Smucker while providing positive economic impact to the state”.

JM Smucker has been ramping up capacity for the Smucker’s Uncrustables brand with an expansion project at its facility in Longmont, Colorado, and a $1.1 billion investment in a new plant in McCalla, Alabama. 

The company expects the brand to generate $1 billion in annual sales within the next five years.