ORRVILLE, OHIO – Timing, as they say, is everything. The J.M. Smucker Co. opened its new Uncrustables manufacturing plant in Longmont, Colo., in July 2019. A little more than a year later the plant is running at full capacity and sales of the frozen, handheld sandwiches have spiked.

Sales of Uncrustables were $289 million in fiscal 2019 and jumped to $365 million in fiscal 2020, ended April 30, as demand for prepared foods rose in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“With accelerating consumption growth, we are operating the new Longmont, Colorado, facility at full capacity,” said Mark T. Smucker, president and chief executive officer, during a Sept.  8 presentation at the virtual Barclays Global Consumer Staples conference. “A new production line will be operational in January and phase two of the plant expansion is set to begin next calendar year.”

Management has set a goal for the brand to reach $500 million in sales by fiscal 2023.

Tucker H. Marshall, chief financial officer, forecast Uncrustables will achieve double-digit growth in fiscal 2021. The additional production capacity will play a key role and be bolstered by new products added to the line.

The new products include lunch and snack items, including thaw-and-eat roll-ups and a line of heat-and-eat bites. The roll-up items will come in varieties like meat and cheese while the bites will include barbecue chicken and taco varieties.