McCalla, Alabama – Building on one of the largest recent food manufacturing investments in the Southeast, The J.M. Smucker Co. has announced a new $27 million expansion at its Uncrustables® production facility in McCalla, further strengthening Alabama’s position as a premier destination for high-volume, advanced food manufacturing.
The project will add new equipment and operational enhancements designed to increase production capacity and efficiency at the 900,000-square-foot plant, which serves as a major national hub for the company’s fast-growing frozen sandwich brand.
For economic developers and site selection professionals, the expansion underscores several key competitive advantages in Alabama:
- Proven ability to support large-scale, capital-intensive food and beverage manufacturing
- Access to a skilled and growing manufacturing workforce in the Birmingham metro
- Strategic logistics connectivity to major Southeastern and national consumer markets
- A business climate that supports rapid reinvestment and long-term corporate growth
Originally opened in 2024, the McCalla facility represented a transformative advanced manufacturing project for the region, bringing significant capital investment and modern food production capabilities to Jefferson County. This latest expansion signals continued confidence in the site, the workforce, and the regional supply chain ecosystem.
The added investment will help the company meet accelerating national demand for convenient, ready-to-eat food products while reinforcing the facility’s role as a cornerstone of its North American manufacturing network.
From an economic development perspective, the announcement highlights the lifecycle value of major projects beyond the initial ribbon cutting. Follow-on investments of this type generate:
- Additional construction and equipment spending
- Expanded supplier and logistics activity
- Long-term operational stability for the regional workforce
- Increased tax base and secondary economic impact
The McCalla expansion also reflects a broader trend of reshoring and domestic capacity growth within the U.S. food and beverage sector, as manufacturers invest in highly automated, high-throughput facilities closer to core consumer markets.
For communities across the South competing for similar projects, the expansion serves as a case study in how infrastructure readiness, workforce development, and strong state and local partnerships can position a region for repeat investment from global brands.
With this latest project, Smucker continues to scale production in Alabama, reinforcing the state’s emergence as a nationally competitive hub for modern food manufacturing and distribution.
