SugarCreek Celebrates CCI Facility Dedication

When SugarCreek chairman and CEO John Richardson purchased an existing 77,000-square-foot manufacturing plant at 1200 Enterprise Road in Cambridge City, Ind., in 2012, he had a distinct vision for its future. That facility, which has grown to 418,000 square feet through years of planning and development, was officially dedicated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring SugarCreek executives and Indiana government leaders.

Richardson describes the Cambridge City facility (CCI) as a “game-changer” for SugarCreek and the food industry. Highlighting the new facility is the largest sous vide line in North America, say company officials. Sous vide is a staple of European cooking in which the food is prepped, vacuum-packed and then cooked slowly and precisely in a circulated water bath. CCI takes this cooking method to a level never seen before in the United States, officials add.

Including the sous vide line, CCI has three distinct high-volume cooking halls that SugarCreek will be using to produce sausage patties, meatballs and many other proteins. The variety of cooking methods allows SugarCreek to expand beyond its bacon roots into a diversified manufacturer providing brand-worthy food solutions to some of the nation’s most recognizable food companies, say officials.

“Bacon has been, and will always be, our legacy. But my motto is that ‘good enough is not good enough’ and CCI represents an important part of our future,” Richardson says. “We have made a huge investment to expand our capabilities, allowing us the flexibility to co-develop new products and menu items for brands across all channels of trade.”

Investments made by SugarCreek at CCI go beyond cooking equipment. Machines and employees are connected wirelessly to the "Industrial Internet of Things," ensuring both efficiency and the safety of products and people. SugarCreek is expected to have roughly 500 employees at the facility.

“2016 marks the 50th anniversary of SugarCreek, and we are thrilled to celebrate in such a big way with the dedication of CCI,” Richardson says. “We look forward to starting our next 50 years with new product offerings.”

Sous vide production began at CCI in late 2015, with additional lines being opened periodically for the past year.