Norwalk Pepperidge Farm Office To Close, Move Jobs To New Jersey

NORWALK, CT — Campbell Soup Company announced Wednesday plans to close its Pepperidge Farm office in Norwalk, as well as an office in Charlotte, N.C., as the company consolidates its snacks offices into its headquarters in Camden, N.J.

According to a company spokesperson, the Norwalk office currently employs approximately 170 employees.

Eligible Norwalk employees will relocate to New Jersey in phases beginning later this year, and employees who choose not to relocate will be offered job placement support and severance benefits commensurate with their level and years of service, according to a news release provided by the company.

Campbell owns the Pepperidge Farm brand, famous for its Milano cookies and Goldfish snacks, which is headquartered at a complex located at 595 Westport Avenue.

Following employees' transition to New Jersey, the Norwalk office will be offered for sale, according to a company spokesperson.

Mayor Harry Rilling said Wednesday the city was not given advance notice of the Norwalk office closing and noted he was disappointed to hear the news given the company's deep history in Norwalk and Connecticut in general.

"Pepperidge Farm founder Margaret Rudkin was one of the great business leaders of her time and fulfilled her dream of opening a state-of-the-art bakery right here in Norwalk in 1947," Rilling said in a statement. "When I was younger, we would take school trips to Pepperidge Farm, and they would give each student a loaf of bread. I have fond memories of learning how their bread was made."

According to Rilling, a corporation of this scale closing its doors not only impacts the community, but also disrupts the lives of its employees within the region and their families.

"While the company is giving employees the opportunity to relocate to their New Jersey headquarters, it's very challenging for most families to move and uproot their lives," Rilling said. "Unfortunately, the company did not give the city advance notice that it would be closing, but workforce development has been a top priority for my administration and the state of Connecticut."

While the company will close its Norwalk office, Campbell's will continue to make Pepperidge Farm products at its bakery in Bloomfield, which opened in 2002 and employs over 400 people.

The bakery is actively hiring for a number of positions and plans are in place to grow the facility to meet increasing demand for the Pepperidge Farm bread, buns, rolls and stuffing produced there, a company spokesperson said.

"We have a long history in Connecticut and North Carolina and will continue to have key operations in both states," Campbell's CEO Mark Clouse said in a news release. "The decision to close these offices was difficult but it is the right thing to do for our business and culture. Unifying the company in one headquarters increases connectivity, collaboration and provides enhanced career opportunities for our team."

Rilling urged anyone in Norwalk facing job loss and in need of support to contact the city's Community Services Department at 203-854-7999 and utilize its Community Resource Hub to be directly connected with training programs and workforce development opportunities.

"Our Community Services Department was created to be a resource to residents during challenging circumstances and will work closely with our community partners to help residents access the services they need," Rilling said.

Pepperidge Farm is part of Campbell Snacks, one of the company's two divisions which includes brands such as Cape Cod, Goldfish, Kettle Brand, Milano and Snyder’s of Hanover, among others.

The brand's history in Norwalk dates back to the 1940's when Rudkin was living on a property in Fairfield called Pepperidge Farm, named for an ancient pepperidge tree that grew there, according to the company's website.

Pepperidge Farm celebrated Independence Day on July 4, 1947, by opening its new bakery in Norwalk. The company was run by Rudkin for many years before being purchased by Campbell's in 1961.

The full story of the company's history can be read here.