Hershey already has taken a pretty big bite out of the snacking industry. True, the brand (founded way back when Grover Cleveland was president, and before Oklahoma was a state) remains best known for its sweet treats. However, it has made significant inroads into the savory side of things recently. Its umbrella now stretches over Skinny Pop popcorn, Pirate’s Booty puffs and straws, and (since an acquisition last year) the rapidly growing Dot’s Pretzels, meaning a significant portion of the snack shelf now belongs to Hershey.

And, according to a recent Harvard Business Review column penned by Hershey CEO Michele Buck, the company is just getting started.

“Five and a half years ago, when I became the CEO of Hershey, I had a vision that we could be something more than a candymaker. Since then we’ve embarked on an ambitious journey,.” she writes.

Buck has led the charge to make Hershey “a snacking powerhouse” with a multi-pronged strategy. Rather than the pursuit of product innovation emphasized in the past, recent internal changes have centered on refining marketing, packaging, and pricing strategies to bolster long-standing brands. The changes have so far yielded notable results, taking the brands from flat sales to growth.

Another prong of the plan centers on acquisition. Initial purchases included candy and sweet brands, but according to Buck, the purchase of Krave jerky in 2015 set the tone for diversifying into salty and savory products, and going beyond what traditionally has been expected of the Hershey name. This new direction, Buck says, has seen some resistance, but the company reportedly dealt with naysaying whispers by pinpointing people within the company that embraced “disruptive” thinking and new directions.

Much like the namesake journeys of our elementary school days, a field trip for a trade journalist is an opportunity to stretch your legs, go someplace new, and learn. When Kemin Industries, Des Moines, IA, extended an invitation to a select group of food industry reporters to visit its Bakery Innovation Center (BIC) at their headquarters, I happily accepted—in small part for a change of scenery, but mostly because in-person learning opportunities have been in short supply since the start of the pandemic.

During the visit, the other journalists (including my BNP Media colleague Prepared Foods Chief Editor Bob Garrison) and I used all five senses in our tour of the BIC, a 2,300-square-foot facility equipped with an analytical lab, pilot-scale production equipment, and other features. We got to see the BIC staff in action, hear them explain the various services they offer tortilla and baked-good customers, get our hands on corn tortillas as we mixed and baked them in preparation for testing, smell the aroma of the cooking disks, and taste the fruits of our labor. Then, we got to put fresh-made tortillas through a number of tests. According to Marketing Director Courtney Schwartz, Kemin customers are invited to visit the BIC and share in these experiences.

The ambitious strategy continues to pay off. Hershey has grown from about $7.5 billion in annual revenue in 2017 to approaching $10 billion for the 12 months ending June 30 of this year. Buck says she’s optimistic on how this SCHEME will pan out in the coming years.

“We’re excited about what we make today and even more excited about the possibilities that lie ahead—for our customers, our retail partners, and our people,” she announces.

How is your snack or bakery company working toward an exciting future? I’d love to know—feel free to drop me a line at spinnerj@bnpmedia.com and share your thoughts. SF&WB