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CPG Companies are Delivering for Consumers and Their Employees

By Sarah Soulier

As many Americans stay home to stop the spread of coronavirus, some are still on the front lines daily, working tirelessly for the millions who depend on them.

CPG employees — from factory floor workers to truck drivers transporting essential items across the country — know their roles are essential to keeping our lives moving. The simple act of being able to stock our homes with daily essentials — from cleaning supplies to stay healthy to the ingredients to make our favorite meals while homebound — are part of fighting the coronavirus and, importantly, to providing a sense of normalcy and dependability when the world feels like it’s turning upside down.

In a time of great uncertainty and instability, consumer goods companies are working to care for others and their own employees.

Bimbo Bakeries USA Thanks Employees

Bimbo Bakery employees are working harder than ever to ensure millions of loaves of bread, buns, English muffins and other baked goods make it in the hands of consumers during the coronavirus crisis. The company put together a special thank you for its employees who are #BBUProud and is currently hiring amid the coronavirus crisis.

Chicken of the Sea Donates Half a Million Servings to Those in Need

As hunger relief organizations face food shortages and challenges during the coronavirus outbreak, Chicken of the Sea has donated more than half a million servings of canned tuna, salmon and other protein-packed products to Convoy of Hope, which serves families across the country, America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia and South Bay Area Schools in the Los Angeles region. Each organization receiving the donations directly helps vulnerable populations in communities where Chicken of the Sea has operations.

Clorox Donates $5 Million to Organizations on the Front Lines of Coronavirus

The Clorox Foundation is working with three organizations critical in the fight against coronavirus to provide resources to those working on the front lines to support public health. Direct Relief, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation’s Emergency Response Fund and the American Red Cross will receive grants totaling $5 million from the foundation, as Clorox continues to ramp up production of its products that are effective in killing the virus on surfaces.


Coca-Cola Supports Vulnerable Families in its Atlanta and Global Communities

The Coca-Cola Foundation announced a partnership with the Woodruff Foundation for a $10 million donation to the Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund. The fund, created by United Way of Greater Atlanta and the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, will support vulnerable families in the area as the virus continues to disrupt lives and businesses nationwide. The Coca-Cola Foundation will also award a total of $13.5 million to five non-profit organizations working on the front lines of the U.S. and Canadian humanitarian response to the coronavirus.


Conagra Starts #EmptyTheOffice Movement

Every good workplace has great food options — but what happens to all that food when everyone is working from home? After implementing work-from-home policies during the coronavirus outbreak, Conagra donated 3,850 pounds of food from the office to their local community, benefiting the Lakeview Pantry.


Freshpet Gets Creative with Employee Incentives that Benefit Local Small Businesses

Social distancing means eating at home, and with mandated closures becoming the norm, local restaurants nationwide are feeling the financial burden. To thank employees for their continued hard work, Freshpet CEO Billy Cyr wanted to find a way to give back and stimulate their local economy. Every two weeks, from now until restaurants are able to reopen, Freshpet will give employees a $50 gift card to a local family owned eatery, in a show of gratitude to workers and up-front cash for struggling restaurants.


General Mills Increases Food Bank Donations

Year-round, General Mills is an active user of MealConnect, an app they created in partnership with Feeding America to connect corporate kitchens with those experiencing food insecurity. Companies, hotels and restaurants across Minneapolis donate excess food to the organization, and now that many employees are working remotely, even more fresh food is available to donate. And for those workers on the front lines who are unable to work from home, General Mills is giving a small token of appreciation while stimulating the local economy, handing out gift cards to nearby restaurants.


Hormel Gives Employees Unexpected Cash Bonuses

Hormel employees have been working around the clock increasing production, as products fly off the shelves at grocery stores nationwide. As a thank you for their continued hard work, Hormel is giving more than $4 million in cash bonuses to its 13,000 plant production employees, who are making the increased supply possible. The company is also giving an additional $1 million in cash and product donations to hunger relief organizations, as the fight against coronavirus continues.

Idahoan Foods Doubles Down on Employee Appreciation 

With orders up 250 percent in March alone, and anticipated increases in sustained demand, Idahoan Foods remains dedicated to ensuring the health and safety of its 780 employees while continuing production for consumers around the world. Idahoan has introduced additional benefits for its 600 front-line operations and warehouse team members, including expansion of time-away benefits and $600,000 in additional compensation. The company is also actively seeking 100 additional employees to join its team, with the same added benefits and compensation.

J.M. Smucker Company Puts Employees Financial Well-Being First

As demand for shelf-stable food rapidly grows, the J.M. Smucker Company is working overtime to increase production of the items consumers want most. Noting his employees’ unyielding commitment to meeting these consumer needs, CEO Mark Smucker is giving $1,500 to each of the company’s 5,700 workers who are “serving on the ground” during the coronavirus crisis. The company is also providing 12 weeks of full pay and benefits for employees whose facilities have temporarily closed due to the virus.


Kellogg Expands Coronavirus Food and Fund Donations

As the coronavirus situation becomes more dire for many, Kellogg is stepping up to provide much-needed funding and supplies to global COVID-19 food relief efforts. To date, the company has provided $5 million in cash and product donations to its food bank partners worldwide, as more and more people struggle with food insecurity due to the global pandemic.

McCormick Extends Worker Benefits and Increases Front-Line Salaries 

As more people cook at home, they are relying on flavor more than ever, and McCormick is working hard to reward the front-line employees who continue to bring the heat to consumers’ kitchens. During the coronavirus crisis, the spice manufacturer is increasing hourly wages, extending paid leave for those who need to care for sick family members and maintaining salaries if operations are suspended. McCormick is also donating product to hunger relief agencies and medical providers.


PepsiCo Ramps Up Hiring, Adds Enhanced Benefits

With more than 90,000 PepsiCo employees working day in and day out to make sure consumers have access to the food and beverage products they depend on, the company is providing a minimum bonus of $100 a week to full-time workers, along with other enhanced benefits, including paid leave for quarantined employees and those who have to stay home with children or other family members. The company is also hiring 6,000 new, full-time, full-benefit front-line employees across the United States to keep up with demand.

In May the company also launched a 7-million-dollar initiative to address rates of infection, joblessness and the lack of resources needed in Black and Latino communities.


P&G Begins Production of Hand Sanitizer and Masks

The P&G family is committed to keeping employees safe during this time of uncertainty, while continuing to serve consumers and communities worldwide. As part of this mission, P&G has shifted operations at several plants around the world to produce hand sanitizer and masks for hospitals and health organizations. The P&G Global Disaster Relief team is also getting to work distributing essential products to consumers and medical providers alike. So far, the company has exceeded $5 million in product and monetary donations — with more to come.


For more information on what CPG companies are doing during the coronavirus outbreak, visit our blog, How CPG is a Resource as the World Fights Coronavirus.

From providing original research, industry guidance and cutting-edge insights, to advocating on Capitol Hill and shaping policy that will have an impact for years to come, we are committed to delivering for our industry during this crisis. Stay informed.

Published on March 30, 2020

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By Sarah Soulier

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