White Castle Expands Retail Food Manufacturing Plant in Vandalia, Ohio, and Names Site After Its Former President and CEO

Third-Generation Family Member Bill Ingram Recognized for Making White Castle the First Fast-Food Chain to Sell Food in Grocery Aisles

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White Castle

Jul 13, 2021, 15:15 ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- White Castle broke ground today on the expansion of its retail food manufacturing plant in Vandalia, Ohio. The plant, now named "The House That Bill Built" in honor of former president and CEO Bill Ingram, supplies packaged Sliders to retailers, large and small, in all 50 states.

White Castle renamed its retail manufacturing plant in Vandalia, Ohio, after former president and CEO Bill Ingram, who was responsible for launching White Castle's retail division in 1987.

Local and state officials join White Castle leaders as they break ground for the expansion of White Castle's retail manufacturing plant in Vandalia, Ohio.

"Our retail division has been growing steadily over the past 10 years, and we saw huge growth last year as people cooked and ate at home more during the pandemic," said Lisa Ingram, president and CEO of White Castle and daughter of Bill Ingram. "Having more dedicated space to make more sandwiches will enable us to keep up with the increasing demand for our frozen Sliders."

White Castle is investing $27 million in the expansion project, which should be complete by June 2022. The expansion will double the size of the plant from approximately 75,000 square feet to 150,000 square feet. It also will result in the addition of 75 jobs to the current workforce of 160 once the new production lines are fully operational. The city of Vandalia, JobsOhio, the Ohio Department of Development, Montgomery County and the Dayton/Montgomery County Port Authority all played a part in making the expansion project possible.

During the ceremony, which was attended by members of the Ingram family as well as officials from Vandalia, the Dayton region and JobsOhio, White Castle leaders dedicated the building to Bill Ingram, naming it "The House That Bill Built." Bill Ingram is a third-generation family member who served as president from 1980 to 2015 and was responsible for creating and expanding the retail division.

During the early years of his tenure as president and CEO, Bill Ingram noticed how more and more customers were taking Sliders home from White Castle restaurants and freezing them for future meals. In response, he suggested White Castle sell its famous Sliders as a frozen food in grocery stores across the country. Some industry experts scoffed at his idea, but true to his reputation as an innovator, Bill forged ahead. White Castle introduced its retail division in 1987, becoming the first fast-food restaurant to offer its menu items for purchase at grocery stores for preparation at home.

"Dad wanted to make sure Sliders were available to everyone, even to people who didn't live in a White Castle market," Lisa Ingram said. "He played an essential role in getting us where we are today, and it's so fitting that we honor him this way during our 100^th year as a family-owned business."

"I'm honored by the recognition and the new name," Bill Ingram said. "But the greatest honor of all is knowing how many people enjoy our Sliders right out of their microwave, and the number of team members we've employed in this important part of our business."

Over the years, White Castle has invested heavily in the supply chain that feeds both its restaurant and retail divisions. It owns and operates its own bakeries, meat processing plants and frozen food manufacturing plants. The strategy helps ensure that the Sliders available at food retailers nationwide offer the same high quality and great taste as Sliders sold in the Castles. White Castle's retail product lineup includes the Original Slider, Cheese Sliders, Jalapeño Cheese Sliders and Chicken Breast Sliders.

About White Castle^®

White Castle, America's first fast-food hamburger chain, has been making hot and tasty Sliders as a family-owned business for 100 years. Based in Columbus, Ohio, White Castle started serving The Original Slider^® in 1921. Today White Castle owns and operates more than 350 restaurants dedicated to satisfying customers' cravings morning, noon and night. Through its retail division, which launched in 1987, White Castle also offers its famous fare in freezer aisles of grocery, convenience and club stores nationwide. The Original Slider, named in 2014 as Time magazine's "Most Influential Burger of All Time," is served alongside a menu of creatively crafted Sliders and other mouthwatering food options, including White Castle's Impossible^™ Slider, named by Thrillist in 2019 as the "Best Plant-Based Fast Food Burger." White Castle's commitment to maintaining the highest quality products extends to the company owning and operating its own meat processing plants, bakeries and frozen-food processing plants. In 2021, 100 years after the first Slider was sold, Fast Company named the fast-food pioneer one of the "10 Most Innovative Dining Companies." White Castle is known for the legendary loyalty of its team members, more than 1 in 4 of whom have worked for White Castle for at least 10 years, and also for its faithful fans ("Cravers"), many of whom compete each year for entry into the Cravers Hall of Fame. The official White Castle app, available at iTunes App Store or Google Play, makes it easy for Cravers to access sweet deals and place pickup orders at any time. They can also have their orders delivered using one of White Castle's delivery partners. For more information on White Castle, visit whitecastle.com.

SOURCE White Castle