No Slim Jim Shortage ConAgra ensuring sufficient retailer supply after plant explosion
By Greg Lindenberg
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OMAHA, Neb. -- Media reports and speculation about a Slim Jim shortage or "outage" appear to be largely unfounded, according to ConAgra Foods Inc., the company that manufactures the meat snack, a staple in grocery and convenience stores. An accidental explosion on June 9 that killed three workers at the Garner, N.C., plant—the only facility that produces Slim Jims—was caused by a natural gas leak that ignited in a room housing vacuum pumps for sealing the snacks, reported the Associated Press.
Among other reports, a New York Post story, "Where's the Beef? Slim Jim Factory Can't 'Meat' Production Needs," speculated that customers might start stockpiling the snacks. It also claimed that a Midtown Manhattan c-store "was still selling foot-long Slim Jims that expired in February."
Although Slim Jims have been available at reduced levels, there has been no lack of product, ConAgra spokesperson Stephanie Childs told CSP Daily News. "At the time of the accident, we had about 40 days of supply in stock," she said. "We have been working with retailers to ensure that they have an adequate supply of product while we get back into production."
She said Slim Jims will be back in production in August. "We anticipate being at full service levels for retailers starting in the fall. We don't anticipate there being no product on store shelves."
The company is resuming production at Garner "on a limited basis" at a second building on the site, a smokehouse, which was not damaged in the explosion. "We'll be working with another plant in the ConAgra system, in Ohio, as well as third-party manufacturers, to keep Slim Jims on store shelves."
ConAgra told NBC6-TV that it produces about 500 million of the dried-meat snacks annually for about $200 million in sales.
Along with Slim Jim, Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra, one of North America's leading food companies, makes Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt's, Marie Callender's, Orville Redenbacher's, PAM, Peter Pan, Reddi-wip and other brands available in grocery, convenience, mass merchandise and club stores. ConAgra Foods also supplies potato, other vegetable, spice and grain products to restaurants, foodservice operators and commercial customers.
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Although Slim Jims have been available at reduced levels, there has been no lack of product, ConAgra spokesperson Stephanie Childs told CSP Daily News. "At the time of the accident, we had about 40 days of supply in stock," she said. "We have been working with retailers to ensure that they have an adequate supply of product while we get back into production."