J&J Snack Foods reports a record year

Snack-food maker J&J Snack Foods today reported record earnings and record sales for its 2009 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 26.

The Pennsauken company said the year's earnings were up 48 percent, to $41.3 million ($2.21 a share) on sales of $653 million in fiscal 2009, from $27.9 million ($1.47 a share) on sales of $629.4 million in the previous fiscal year.

In the fourth quarter, earnings were up 32 percent, to $14.8 million (79 cents a share) on sales of $182.8 million, from $11.2 million (59 cents a share) on sales of $177.4 million in the year-ago period.

"Continued strong and improving performance from all our business groups contributed to our results for the quarter and the year," said Gerald B. Shreiber, J&J's president and chief executive officer. "Country Home Bakers, our cookie, biscuit and specialty bread business, had an outstanding year.

"Overall, we benefitted from cost containment while driving sales value."

The company has manufacturing facilities in Pennsauken, Bridgeport and Bellmawr in New Jersey, plus locations in Pennsylvania (Scranton, Hatfield and Chambersburg) and elsewhere. It sells soft pretzels, Slush Puppies, Minute Maid juice bars, Daddy Ray's low-fat fig bars, Luigi's syrupy water ice, and Tio Pepe's churros.    - Roslyn Rudolph