Bringing Employees Together With Our Hospitality Day Tradition

For 84 years, employees at our Orrville, Ohio headquarters have celebrated the holidays together on what we now call “Hospitality Day.” This special event, which has evolved over the years and now includes a full buffet and charitable giving opportunities for our employees, is one small way in which our Company says “thank you” to the incredible people who work hard every day to drive our business forward.  This holiday season we took a look back at the earliest celebrations and how it has evolved.

Starting out as a simple holiday party, the first celebration of what we now call Hospitality Day was held on December 10, 1940 at the Smithville Inn in Wayne County, Ohio. Following six years at the initial location, the event was moved to the Orrville High School auditorium and gymnasium in 1946, in order to accommodate the growing company. In 1958, the party was held onsite in the Smucker cafeteria for the first time, where it remains today. These get-togethers often featured entertainment such as magicians, comedians, orchestras, barbershop quartets, Bingo tournaments and visits from Santa!  

Throughout the years, while elements of the celebrations evolved, one aspect that never wavered was the focus on appreciation for our employees. As an example, at the 1947 gathering our then CEO, Willard Smucker, shared a few initial words with the group about the current state of business and his optimism for the future: 

“I am mentioning these things to you so that you may all know that we have confidence in the future. Yes, we may have some ups and downs, but this business was started over 50 years ago, during which period it has not always been a bed of roses. The growth of this business is due entirely to the cooperation, hard work, and sweat of each and every one of you employees here tonight.” 

This expression of appreciation remains central to our modern celebrations of Hospitality Day.

This year’s Hospitality Day in Orrville took place on December 11, 2024 and featured a luncheon prepared by our in-house catering staff, including Smucker’s^® Orange Marmalade glazed ham, veggie quinoa, sweet and mashed potatoes, a variety of desserts and more. Employees were invited to gather in the dining areas to enjoy the meal with their peers.  

After the luncheon was finished, the company hosted its first ever large-scale holiday volunteer event, nicknamed Operation Citrus. Over 300 employees banded together to donate their time for The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. The foodbank sourced 20,392 pounds of citrus for this event and at the end of the day, employees had sorted and counted 5,142 bags of oranges and 1,185 bags of grapefruit! The fruit was then distributed throughout the community over the following 48 hours, and was used in16,994 meals provided to community members in need.