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50 years as a Campbell employee

Life at Campbell’s

Fifty years ago, a postage stamp cost just 6 cents, Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water was the most popular song, and Love Story was the highest-grossing film at box offices.  Our popular kids (and adult!) dish, SpaghettiOs, was only five years old, and Campbell’s Chunky soup was just introduced as “the soup so chunky you can almost eat it with a fork.”

A lot has changed in fifty years, but for these three Campbell employees, one thing has remained the same. Their employer!

Destined for Cookies

Collette “Cookie” Dunn got her nickname from her family when she was just two years old because of her round face and love for cookies. It was only fitting that at the age of 18, over fifty years ago, she got a job as a Production Worker at our Denver, Pennsylvania plant. Over the years she worked her way through our bakery and biscuit departments.

Today, Cookie makes cookies herself as a Depositor Operator in cookie processing. She runs the machinery that shapes and bakes Milano cookies. “It was like I was destined to make cookies!” said Cookie, about the coincidence of her nickname and career choice.

Over her 50-year tenure she’s had experience making numerous Pepperidge Farm Distinctive cookies, including favorites like Brussels, Chessman and Bordeaux. She’s known for her extensive equipment knowledge and is the “go to” for cookie depositing. Any cookie the plant can bake, Cookie can make!

Cookie celebrated 50 years of dedicated service with her Campbell Snacks family this past December.

cookie dunn

Collette “Cookie” Dunn celebrates 50 years of service with her Campbell Snacks family in Denver, PA.

Success in Soup

Earlier this year, Kenneth Whitten, a General Maintenance employee at our plant in Paris, Texas, became the third person in the history of the Paris location to achieve 50 years of service.

Kenneth started in production as part of a 4-year apprenticeship back in 1970. After successful completion of the program, he’s remained an employee ever since! He manages the general maintenance of the plant’s west side, which produces our soup.

“What I like most about my job is the people and learning the different perspectives of my colleagues.  I love to keep up with what’s going on throughout the plant and learning what new products are coming down the line,” said Kenneth.

When asked what his favorite Campbell Soup Company product is, Kenneth chose a classic that’s made right in the plant where he works – Campbell’s Tomato soup!

kenneth whitten

Kenneth Whitten celebrates 50 years of service at the Paris, Texas plant.

Snacking Through 50 Years

William Marks works at our plant in Columbus, Georgia, and has been an employee there since he went out looking for a job in late 1969. After knowing a few friends who worked at the plant, he decided to apply, starting out on the cleanup crew working the third shift from 11:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m.

He left briefly to serve our country during an 18-month deployment in the Vietnam War, resuming his work at the plant following his safe return. William now works as a Processing Technician where he manages the changeovers of different products, overseeing the production lines of numerous snacks, from Late July snacks and Lance Van-O-Lunch Nekot cookie sandwiches, to his personal favorite, Lance ToastChee sandwich crackers.

“I feel very blessed for the past fifty years,” said William when asked about his experience working for the plant.  “It’s great to be able to stay at a job for that long and feel valued and trusted for my work.”

william marks

William Marks, a Processing Technician in Columbus, Georgia.

Looking to join our team? Check out our careers page. You may just stay for fifty years!

 

 

 

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Life at Campbell’s

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