Bob Evans Farms produces side dishes on Commerce Parkway.
Dean Brown | The Lima News
LIMA — The ultimate destination of locally manufactured food products will depend on factors such as the target market, the type of product and the distribution channels available in the local area. Food products manufactured locally can end up in a variety of places, depending on the type of product and the target market.
Hirzel Canning, which has a plant in Ottawa, ships its tomato products primarily in the midwest, central and southeastern states. Steve Hirzel is the fourth-generation president of the 100 year-old Hirzel Canning.
“Most of the states, not a lot in the Southwest, but northwest California and then everywhere in between – up in the Northeast, Southeast. So pretty much most of the country,” Hirzel said. “I can’t say we are in all 50 states, but it’s probably at least 40 to 42 states. We do a fair bit up in Ontario, Canada. We export a little bit over into Norway and Scandinavia. We’re making some pasta sauces that go over there and sit on the grocery shelves, and those are tomatoes from around here.”
Hirzel says that sometimes product can be found in places with which they have no direct connection.
“Things could end up going to a distributor in Florida and then end up in the Dominican, Puerto Rico or the Bahamas,” he said. “Yeah, that’s possible, but we wouldn’t know directly because we sell to a distributor and then whoever their customers are — somebody in the restaurant trade or somebody in stores.”
Rudolph Foods has a presence throughout the country. We are aware of the plant on Bellefontaine Road, but few of us know how far the nation’s largest producer of pork rinds extends into other areas of the USA. Plants located elsewhere are in Dallas, Texas; Lawrenceville, Georgia; Beaumont, California; and New Hebron, Mississippi. These plants manufacture five brands: Southern Recipe, Rudolphs, Pepe’s, Lee’s Pig Skin and Grandpa Johns. Rudolph has established Pork Rind Appreciation day to coincide each year with the Super Bowl.
Lakeview Farms, located in Delphos, is a manufacturer of fresh and convenient dips, desserts and specialty products. Thirteen different brands are manufactured through Lakeview Farms. One can find Lakeview Farms products from Boston to Oregon and many grocery stores throughout the United States. Products can be purchased locally online through Walmart, Kroger and Meijer. Kroger offers thirty-four Lakeview Farms products for purchase online.
Over the years, the company has added products of fresh, refrigerated dip products including hummus, salsa, layered dips and a wide variety of dairy, deli and seafood dips. Lakeview Farms also produces desserts that include many varieties of gelatin, pudding, parfaits and premium desserts that delight consumers across the country.
Bob Evans Farms is the No. 1-selling refrigerated dinner sides, including many varieties of mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. The Lima plant can process approximately 500,000 pounds of potatoes per day. The potatoes are washed, steamed and then peeled and diced. They are run by an optical scanner to weed out imperfect potatoes, then pumped in water to large steam cookers. The cooked mashed potatoes are poured into containers at 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The containers are sealed and then cooled in a huge spiral water chiller to less than 40 degrees to help ensure longer shelf life.
The production lines provide the flexibility to produce three to four different items in a 24-hour period. For example, the plant also can make seasonal dishes such as broccoli and cheese, green bean casserole and glazed apples.
CELEBRATING OUR SPIRIT
Plenty of foods, items and ideas are created right here in the Lima region. Celebrating Our Spirit looks at those organizations that make the area such a vibrant place to live, work and play.
Read more stories at LimaOhio.com/tag/spirit.
Reach Dean Brown at 567-242-0409.
