Food Processing
The ingredients to grow your food processing and packaging business.
Grow Your Food Processing Business
Food Processing
Industries
Have your cake … and eat it too. It’s possible in the Northeast Ohio Region.
Food manufacturing is a thriving cluster in Northeast Ohio, with more than 500 food processors – including big names like H.J. Heinz, Nestlé USA, and J.M. Smucker, as well as many smaller firms – supplying food and beverage products to consumers worldwide. The region also offers more than 180 food packaging providers, with an emerging specialty in sustainable packaging materials.
A trained talent pool of more than 22,000+ food manufacturing and production workers, easy access to raw materials and suppliers, and an abundant supply of fresh water from Lake Erie make Northeast Ohio an ideal location for food processing businesses. The region gains additional strength from resources across Ohio, which is home to the complete food value chain, including industry-leading research and development, essential inputs, processing and manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, and transportation. With partners throughout the state, the Northeast Ohio Region is able to bring food and beverage products to market efficiently and cost-effectively.
An ecosystem built for the food processing industry
Download our Food Processing resource guide and learn more about the Food Processing industry within the Northeast Ohio Region.
Download the flyer to learn more.
Northeast Ohio boasts an appetizing environment for food processing and packaging companies.
The region offers speed, low risk, and low capital and operation costs to ensure maximum return on investment.
Food Processing Ecosystem in Northeast Ohio
Company
Access to Talent
Partners
R&D Resources
Infrastructure
22,000+
22,000+ food manufacturing and production workers
85%
85% industry GRP growth (2008 – 2017)
top 10
Top 10 food processing regions in the U.S.
1.5 million
1.5 million acres of farmland
150 million
150 million people reached within a day by truck
Food Processing Workforce Data
- Employers
- Occupations
- Higher Education
Top 10 Food Processing Employers in Northeast Ohio
| Company | Employees |
|---|---|
| Nestle USA | 3,600 |
| The J.M. Smucker Co. | 2,600 |
| Coca-Cola Bottling Co. | 1,747 |
| Great Lakes Cheese | 1,025 |
| Pepperidge Farm | 750 |
| Kraft Heinz Company | 700 |
| Shearer’s Foods, LLC | 700 |
| Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Company, Inc. | 635 |
| Sandridge Food Corporation | 600 |
| Gerber Poultry, Inc. | 500 |
Additional information including occupation code, wages, and entry level education is available upon request from Team NEO.
Top 10 Food Processing Occupations in Northeast Ohio
| Occupation | Employees |
|---|---|
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 2,396 |
| Food Batchmakers | 2,161 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,583 |
| Bakers | 1,288 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 1,286 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 1,226 |
| Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 1,153 |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | 1,079 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 969 |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 949 |
11.2K+
Certificates
7.8K+
Associate’s Degrees
15K+
Bachelor’s Degrees
8K+
Graduate Degrees
Colleges, universities, and education providers offering food processing related areas of study.
Case Study
Great Lakes Cheese
Award-winning, premier manufacturer and packer of natural and processed bulk, shredded and sliced cheeses, expanded in Northeast Ohio.
Northeast Ohio Regional Events
