Pepperidge Farm Breaks Ground on Research Center in Norwalk

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday at the Norwalk headquarters of Pepperidge Farm Inc. for its $30 million, 34,000-square-foot "Innovation Center," where the company will research new product ideas.

Generally, a company's "skunk works" is expected to be located out back, but in this case there's little room on the company's land at 595 Westport Ave.—and if there's a possibility of smelling more cookies or bread being baked, who'd want to miss that?

The white, modern research center building will become the new "face" of the headquarters building as the first thing visitors and passers-by see when they look at the headquarters, which will also have extensive upgrades as part of the project.

In speeches before the ceremonial groundbreaking, officials from Pepperidge Farm and its long-time parent, Campbell Soup Co., said the center, connected to the headquarters building with a glass-enclosed walkway, demonstrates the importance the business places on research and innovation to further future growth (see the video attached to this article).

Staying put

Officials from Norwalk and the state government indicated the new facility demonstrates Pepperidge Farm's commitment to stay and grow right where it is rather than possibly move out.

Catherine Smith, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and the chair of the Connecticut Development Authority, told the crowd of about 100 people: "We are so grateful for your expansion here in Connecticut. It exemplifies the kind of work we want to have in the state."

Pepperidge Farm, founded in Norwalk, has been on Westport Avenue since 1947, when its founder, Margaret Rudkin, located the 10-year-old company's factory there. In 2005, the factory closed when Pepperidge Farm built a $72 million bakery plant in Bloomfield.

"We have many great corporate partners in this city," Mayor Richard A. Moccia said. "But there has been no better corporate partner for people in this city than Pepperidge Farm."

Moccia pointed out the volunteer projects that receive contributions in time and effort from the company's employees, including fixing up homes for the elderly and helping clean up Calf Pasture Beach.

Callaghan and other company officials have also put in time on Moccia's committee to end homelessness in Norwalk, doing more than just lending their names to the effort, Moccia said.

In his own speech, Callaghan pointed out that his company is the largest contributor to United Way in Norwalk, with almost 100 percent participation by company employees.

Innovation at Pepperidge Farm

Denise Morrison, president and CEO of Campbell Soup Co., said one of the "key growth strategies" of Campbell's management "is to continue to drive growth in baked snacks and bakeries."

She added: "Innovation is the key enabling strategy to drive our growth." The company wants to create new products quicker and more effectively than before, partly by following consumer desires more quickly.

"Our company is committed to focusing our investments in segments with high growth profiles and strong prospects for sustained growth in the future," Morrison said. "We believe that the Innovatio Center for Pepperidge Farm far exceeds this criteria."

Callaghan said that Pepperidge Farm has always had a corporate culture that prized innovation.

"One of the most famous stories about Margaret Rudkin at Pepperidge Farm has innovation at its core," he said. "Whenever employees would show her an outstanding new product or operation they had completed, she would say, 'That looks excellent—thanks for your great work. Now what's next?' As we like to say in Campbell Soup Company to describe our exciting future ahead—Margaret was always focused forward."

Pepperidge Farm's new products over the years have included Goldfish crackers, Milano and Chocolate Chunk cookies, as well as "swirl" breads. Some of the more recent new products are Milano Melt cookies, Cracker Chips and Goldfish Sandwich Bread.

The research and development team has been challenged in recent years, since the Norwalk plant left, Callaghan said, because "while the demand for creative new concepts has continued to increase, they have had to do more and more innovating in a very restricted amount of space, and also travel frequently to our production faciities to do product testing we're not equipped to handle here."

The new building, designed in part by the Perkins Eastmann architectural firm of Stamford, will have "biscuit, bakery, cracker and flatbread prototyping capabilities," Callaghan said. "It will enable ideas for new Pepperidge Farm treats to be tested in innovation labs, sensory rooms and culinary kitchens, and then further developed on prototype and benchtop equipment. Products can then be scaled-up on pilot production lines, and packaged for internal evaluation."

The company now has 275 employees at the headquarters building, which has had four additions built onto the back over the years. The company also leases 33,500 square feet of office space for 100 more employees at NordenPlace office park in East Norwalk. The Bloomfield plant employs 700 workers. Over time, Callaghan said, the company hopes to expand its employment in Norwalk.

Overall, Pepperidge Farm has total annual retail sales of $2.5 billion, nine manufacturing plants and close to 4,500 employees, together with 3,500 independent distributorships in all 50 states.

This article was updated at 7:33 a.m.