How Smucker’s Advances God’s Redemptive Plan

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Reasons The J.M. Smucker Company was founded

The J.M. Smucker Company is deeply rooted in heritage and was founded to make valuable contributions to American culture and, therefore, helps build a better America. J. M. Smucker’s Christian valves and foundation of hard work has allowed growth and prosperity for nearly 120 years. The widely known motto “During the right things and during the right things right” has proved itself to be true, Smucker’s products can be found in businesses and homes throughout the world.

In 1897 there were probably many producers of apple butter and apple cider, but what made Jerome Monroe Smucker's products different was quality. When Jerome Monroe Smucker opened a small apple cider mill, he pressed apples harvested from his own trees and from neighboring orchards. Word of his delicious cider spread around town, and Jerome began making apple butter from his grandfather's Pennsylvania Dutch recipe soon Jerome's apple butter proved to be even more popular than his cider.

Smucker, being a Mennonite from Orrville, Ohio, signed every lid of every crock of apple butter as his personal guarantee of care and quality. Because of his strong belief in both the mission and ministry of Jesus, it was decided early on that the company was going to provide only quality products, at a fair price and follow sound principles. Although building the company wasn’t easy it was his strategies that grew a very prospered company. Today, these sound principles are described in company literature as Basic Beliefs and include the categories of Quality, People, Ethics, Growth and Independence. (Smucker, 2016)

Smucker iconic brands such as Smucker's, Jif , Folgers, and Crisco makes up the company market leader in fruit spreads, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice cream toppings, and natural foods products in North America. Because of the basic beliefs of quality, people, ethics, growth and independence established by founder J.M. Smucker’s and because of the abundant evidence of authentic American values in its corporate culture, the company has earned a designation as an American Hero Company and is currently held in both the American Values Equity and American Values Index portfolios. [pic 7]

Smucker’s vision and mission

How does a corporation determine what direction they will take in the marketplace? The first three elements are Mission, Vision and Value Statements. Smucker’s company's vision is to "own and market food brands that hold the number one market position in their relevant category with an emphasis on North America (Abrahams, 2007).

(Paul Smucker 2010) “Smucker’s has continually achieved this by increasing their market share of their brands, forcing heavy on new products development that will also provide convenience they are, “good and good for the consumer” “Smucker’s has also been successful in the acquisition of other leading food brands”.

The mission of the company is simply. To serve its consumers with best consumers' quality products like fruit spreads, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice cream toppings, health foods and natural beverages that help them in creating memorable mealtime moments. The vision of the company evidences that it is operating with a highly effective and deterministic vision of attaining the number one position in the industry and North America. For example, in 1961, Sales doubled from $14.6 million to $30 million in fiscal 1965. Smucker's stock more than tripled from its $20 issue price to $67.50 in 1965, when it was split 3-for-1 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Over the course of the decade, sales increased almost three times to $145.8 million, and profits nearly doubled to $5.9 million.

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Figure 3: Product display Smucker’s facility.

Smucker’s strategy

The Company’s values and principles that guide both strategic decisions and daily behavior are The Basic Beliefs that are deeply rooted in the philosophy and heritage of the Company’s founder. These basic beliefs regarding Quality, People, Ethics, Growth, and Independence have served as a strong foundation throughout the company’s history and will continue to be the basis for future strategy, plans, and accomplishments. (Paul Smucker 2016)

Because a dedicated, honest, forward-looking businessman, J. M. Smucker, made a quality product, sold it at a fair price, and followed sound principles, the company has and continues to prosper. J.M. Smucker Company, a leading food product manufacturer, was conscious of the challenges and opportunities ahead. Within the Corporate Responsibility Report 2014, states “One of the strategies is commitment to sustainability. The approach to sustainability provides us with a comprehensive view of our Economic, Environmental, and Social impacts so that when we make business decisions we have a clear understanding of the benefits to, and potential impact on, our communities”.

Smucker’s Sustainability Strategy focuses on:

- Preserving our culture

- Ensuring our long-term Economic viability

- Limiting our Environmental Impact

- Being Socially responsible

In order to support its exponential growth in the retail and Foodservice channels, Smucker’s looked to streamline its internal processes while maintaining focus on GS1 activities including Foodservice initiatives and new trading partner requirements. This included prioritizing industry engagement, optimizing their organization structure, and defining their internal plan to continue data quality enhancements. They also forced heavy on the Center-of-Store Strategy, Go-to Market Sales and making great brands better.

Smucker’s strategy maintains simple quality. In the early 60's Smucker's marketing agency came up with a catchy advertising slogan, "With a name like Smucker's, it has to be good." this slogan has survived for over 40 years because of two reasons. First, and obviously, they have been able to maintain an exceptionally high level of product quality. The second, but less well-known, is that the "good" at Smucker is "spread" throughout the whole company. Other famous slogan “Choosy Moms Choose Jif” and “The Best part of waking’ Up”

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