Lance celebrates 100th anniversary this year

Snyders-Lance is celebrating Lance’s 100th anniversary this year with product launches and improvements, social media giveaways and a promise to “continue giving consumers more of what they love.” The Charlotte, N.C.-based company is known for its Lance sandwich crackers and Lance Cracker Creations.

As part of its 2013 celebrations, Lance is introducing Xtra Fulls Toastchee and Xtra Fulls Toasty. The new products contain “more” peanut butter filling for an extra-satisfying snacking experience. Xtra Fulls offer up to 6 g. of protein per serving and, like all Lance sandwich crackers, contain no preservatives. In mid-April, the company will also unveil product extensions for its Cracker Creations, Captain’s Wafers sandwich crackers and Nekot cookies.

In addition to new product introductions, Lance says it will improve several of its existing products this year, including using a creamier peanut butter filling and increasing the number of whole grains in its Whole Grain sandwich crackers.

As a “thank you” to consumers, Lance says it will host the “100 Days to Win Snack Challenge,” from March through June. The sweepstakes will launch March 11 on the Lance Snacks Facebook page (www.facebook.com/lancesnacks) and at Happy100Lance.com. Consumers can take daily “Snacking Challenges” for a chance to win instant and weekly prizes, in addition to the $100,000 grand prize to fulfill their ultimate birthday wish.

The Lance Foundation also will make one-time grants totaling $1.5 million to 13 Charlotte-area nonprofit organizations. The grants benefit programs closely aligned with the foundation’s focus areas of supporting education, championing healthy living, fighting hunger and assisting military causes. The Lance Foundation is managed by the parent company, Snyder’s-Lance Inc.

For more information about the history of Lance sandwich crackers and the company’s 100th anniversary celebrations, visit the Lance Snacks Facebook page (www.facebook.com/lancesnacks), www.lance.com or Happy100Lance.com (after March 11).

Odwalla updates packaging and brand identity

For the first time in six years, Odwalla Inc., Half Moon Bay, Calif., updates its product packaging and brand identity. The company’s entire product line—nourishing food bars, juices, juice drinks, smoothies and protein drinks—now sports “more shopper-friendly” packaging with benefit callouts, ingredient imagery and clear product segmentation.

Food bars, for instance, are now segmented according to their benefits and format—protein, superfood, nourishing and chewy nut. The Odwalla brand shield on each bar clearly identifies each bar according to its category. Similarly, color caps now indicate specific beverage categories, making it easier for consumers to identify the different products.

The new design will also appear on everything from the company website to product labels to delivery trucks. 

Oberto Brands to open Nashville production facility

Oberto Brands, Kent, Wash., a national leader in the meat snacks category and maker of the Oh Boy! Oberto jerky line, will open a new production facility in Nashville, Tenn., in the first half of 2013. 

“After seeing tremendous growth over the past few years, we now need to significantly increase our production capabilities,” says Tom Ennis, CEO of Oberto Brands, which owns Oh Boy! Oberto,  Lowrey’s Meat Snacks and Pacific Gold Beef Jerky. “We chose Nashville as the location for Oberto’s new production facility because of its great business climate and incredible workforce. We look forward to partnering with this dynamic, growing city to help diversify our supply chain and get closer to the fastest growing region of our business.”

According to the company, the new facility will also enable it to guarantee that its products are made to only the highest quality and production standards, as well as to support the U.S. manufacturing industry. Oberto is continuing its commitment to “Made in the USA,” which it started in 2010, when the company brought its manufacturing capabilities back to the U.S. from Brazil.