This week, CEO Bill Haines and COO Bryan vonHahmann drove to the dedication of Ocean Spray’s new Lehigh Valley bottling plant. Under construction for two years, the new facility, which will replace the one in Bordentown, will employ about 180 people and handle about 40% of their North American juice production.

Ocean Spray also throws a heck of a party. Not only did they give everyone a fabulous breakfast, but Justin and Henry were there to say hello!

Before the ribbon-cutting, CEO Randy Papadellis explained: “Ocean Spray is essentially run as a family business, committed to bringing a neighborly culture to every community that we enter. We manage our business in a way that respects our communities, our employees, and the environment.” Engineer Erich Fritz, who oversaw the design and construction, and Tim Haggerty, plant director, went on to explain some of the ways Ocean Spray is committed to making that happen, including a “no landfill” policy, recycling all waste, and relying on hot water rather than steam for energy.

The highlight, of course, was a tour of the new plant. The growers in attendance were able to see almost every feature of production, and there is nothing about the place that is unimpressive, from the impeccable organization to the innovation to the employees who make it all happen. Pine Island COO Bryan vonHahmann was very taken with the place. “As a cooperative member, it is great to see first hand, the end product of a significant investment in our future. The facility, equipment, technology, and people are all first class,” he says.

CEO Bill Haines agrees: “The new plant is very impressive, and it’s great for all Ocean Spray growers. It’s going to make them more efficient, and better efficiency means better returns for growers. Getting a tour of the new facility, seeing that it is state of the art and totally organized, and meeting the people who built it and actually make it work made me very proud to be an Ocean Spray grower.”