Jerome Monroe Smucker was an Ohio farmer and penmanship tutor when inspiration for breakfast spreads struck him. With hard work and an education from a business school, the 39-year-old had successfully run four dairy farms and a creamery. In 1897, he took his chances on opening a cider mill that led to apple butter, Smucker’s first product. The rest is history.
The food and beverage company, known for its namesake Smucker's fruit spread, has an extended product portfolio. These iconic brands include Folgers coffee, Jif peanut butter, and Milk-Bone dog snacks – all three of which are the top brands in the US in each product category. Other products include Pillsbury, shortening and oils, frozen sandwiches, and juices.
For more than 120 years, the company has remained under the leadership of its founding family – the Smucker’s. With 7,700 employees and $7.3 billion in annual revenue, Smucker’s is ranked #383 on the Fortune 500 list. Smucker’s generates roughly equal parts of its revenue from pet foods, coffee, and consumer foods. More than 90% of the company’s sales are in the US.
In 2018, the Smucker’s IT team determined that the company required a partner who could provide managed services for the existing Cisco UC environment. After evaluating several options, Smucker’s selected Continuant.
While the initial agreement calls for Continuant to provide managed services for their Cisco systems, Smucker’s is also currently evaluating Continuant’s ability to provide audiovisual solutions, as well as support for their legacy PBX systems that still exist within Smucker’s voice environment. Continuant is poised to help Smucker’s improve their voice and AV systems, so the company can continue to do what it does best - “spread” their products to American cupboards.
