Campbell Soup Company executives along with New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno, Camden, New Jersey, Mayor Dana Redd, and Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr., today celebrated the grand opening of the Campbell Employee Center, an 80,000-square foot addition to the company’s World Headquarters.
Against the backdrop of a glass entrance with a red wall and the “Campbell’s” logo, hundreds of community members and state and local leaders cheered the expansion, which reflects Campbell’s longstanding commitment to Camden, one of the nation’s poorest cities and Campbell’s home since 1869.
The completion of this building is the result of a partnership between Campbell, the state of New Jersey, Camden County, and the city of Camden,” Campbell’s president and CEO Douglas R. Conant says. “It is a testament to the years of hard work by teams of people committed to a common purpose and determined to overcome whatever obstacles that may stand in the way. We are proud to call Camden home. We have deep roots here, not just on this campus but throughout the city and the entire region. Campbell remains fully committed to the city and its neighborhoods.”
Designed by Philadelphia-based architects KlingStubbins, the Campbell Employee Center is part of a broader effort that includes plans for a 100-acre office park in Camden’s Gateway District. Campbell plans to invest up to $93 million in the project, which includes its new building, ongoing enhancements to its existing facilities and 40-acre campus, and the acquisition of land for future development. The state, county, and city have invested approximately $23 million in the area’s infrastructure to improve roads, as well as water and sewer upgrades.
“I am proud that Campbell Soup Company has called New Jersey home for almost 150 years,” Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno says. “This project demonstrates the importance of public-private partnerships. Governor Christie and I are continuing to focus on making New Jersey a home for growth by enhancing New Jersey’s business climate, streamlining our regulatory process, and advancing pro-business initiatives.”
With the completion of the new building, Campbell’s Camden facilities include approximately 750,000 square feet of office, research, and development and training space. Features of the new building include:
•Café with a custom soup bar as the centerpiece, which will serve up to 11 different soups each day
•Exhibition hall that serves as the signature of the building, with 38-foot floor-to-ceiling windows and the “Campbell’s” logo
•Courtyard for employees, as well as special company and community events; courtyard features a vegetable and flower garden designed by the Camden Children’s Garden
•Training and development center called Campbell University
•Fitness center for current and retired employees
•2,600 square-foot company store
The new building is designed to be LEED-certified and includes an energy efficient HVAC system along with water conservation and daylight harvesting features. The Campbell Employee Center will conserve electricity, efficiently maintain the building’s temperature, and provide daylight and outdoor views from 90 percent of the new space. Its sustainable features include:
•Roof that reflects the sunlight’s heat and outdoor lighting that reduces light pollution
•Building designed to reduce company water usage by 45 percent
•Wood products used in the building earned forestry sustainability certification
•Carpeting, countertops, and other features made from recycled materials
•Company will offer only reusable containers in its café; all meals will be served on china and silverware to eliminate waste from disposable plates and utensils
The expansion is designed to help Campbell attract, retain, and develop the best talent in the food industry.
“This building is a tangible demonstration of our commitment to what we call the Campbell Promise, which states that Campbell values people, and in turn, people value Campbell,” Conant says. “It will provide Campbell employees of yesterday, today, and tomorrow with the facilities to achieve their full potential and help the company fulfill its mission of building the world’s most extraordinary company by nourishing peoples’ lives everywhere, every day.”
The Campbell Soup Foundation has contributed more than $100 million to Camden and other area nonprofit organizations over the last 50 years.
“Campbell has been an anchor institution in the city of Camden for 141 years,” Mayor Dana L. Redd says. “This expansion project truly demonstrates Campbell Soup Company’s commitment to Camden’s revitalization efforts and their pledge to the community.”
The project marks the first major development to Campbell’s World Headquarters since the construction of the Dr. John T. Dorrance Culinary Center in 2003.
The Settlement Music School Children’s Choir provided entertainment for the guests in attendance. The choir, which included children from age six through 12, sang several songs. Following the program, guests enjoyed a reception catered by Campbell’s chefs, Sodexo chefs, and two Camden culinary schools that Campbell supports, RESPOND and Cathedral Kitchen. Many of the dishes were prepared with “Campbell’s” soup, broths, sauces, and beverages.
