Campbell's consolidating snacks division, moving jobs to NJ

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) -- Campbell's Soup Co. plans to spend about $50 million to upgrade of its headquarters in New Jersey as it consolidates the central offices of snacks businesses from North Carolina and Connecticut.

The company announced Wednesday it will add about 330 positions at the site in Camden, bringing the total jobs there to about 1,600. It said the move will drive greater creativity, collaboration and career development at the company.

The jobs are moving from offices in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Norwalk, Connecticut. A Snyder's pretzel bakery and other operations in Hanover, Pennsylvania, will not be affected by the changes, and the company will continue to operate its Pepperidge Farm bakery in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Campbell's also said Charlotte will remain a key manufacturing and distribution center for the company.

The headquarters upgrade and expansion, aided by unspecified tax incentives from New Jersey, will start in March and should take about three years to complete. Campbell's plans to upgrade existing space and construct new buildings, including a campus center and a snacks research and development center and pilot plant.

Having one snacks headquarters is expected to save Campbell $10 million annually within a few years, the company said. The savings will be partially reinvested in the business and are included in the company's plan to increase margins in the snacks division. No commercial roles are being eliminated related to the closing of the Charlotte and Norwalk buildings, officials said.

In:
• Camden County
• New Jersey
• Camden