Frederick County Economic Development Authority
Home EconDev Menu
Employer Spotlight: HP Hood
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Frederick County, Virginia
Always Good. Always Hood.
For more than 175 years, the name Hood® has been synonymous with fresh, quality dairy products that taste great. Founded in 1846 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Hood is now one of the largest food and beverage processors in the country with 13 manufacturing plants across the United States.
Hood has operated its flagship facility in Frederick County for more than 20 years, where it processes extended shelf life (ESL) and shelf stable dairy and non-dairy products for Hood’s own brands, private label partners, licensed brands, and co-packing accounts. Key product lines at the Frederick County manufacturing facility include Planet Oat Coffee Creamers, LACTAID Milk, and Almond Breeze almond milk.
Hood's portfolio of national and super-regional brands and licensed products also includes Hood and Heluva Good!.
Manufacturing is Frederick County's largest industry sector. It's grown 3.9% annually over the last decade and is projected to continue growing at 1.6% annually for the next 10 years. Food manufacturing is the second largest sub-sector and includes widely-recognized brands like HP Hood, Kraft Heinz, Foodsource LLC, Shawnee Springs Market & Cannery, Garber's Ice Cream, 8th Avenue Food & Provisions, and 8th Avenue's semolina supplier, Miller Milling, among others.
Working at Hood
Hood's culture is built around its core values of quality, community, integrity, people, innovation, collaboration, and results. These values guide the team towards unified decisions and actions that contribute to the company's success. Hood offers competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, vision, wellness programs, employee discount programs, 401k matches, incentive programs, profit sharing, and more.
When you choose a career at Hood's Frederick County facility, you'll be joining a team of more than 600 employees that represent broad levels of experience and education - from high school/GED and manufacturing experience, to those that have pursued workforce training, certificates, certifications, four year degrees, and beyond.
“I enjoy having days off during the week so the 12 hour schedule is great for me."
“Hood has supported me through my various FMLA needs to be out of the plant."
“The people at Hood make a difference.”
"Paychecks are great, we are paid well at HP Hood."
Hood's success has been recognized by supply chain partners and industry media. In 2013, Hood was named Processor of the Year by Dairy Foods Magazine for its investments in the growth of its plants and ongoing commitments to environmental sustainability.
Explore career opportunities at HP Hood here.
About HP Hood
Founded in 1846, today Hood is one of the largest and most trusted food and beverage manufacturers in the United States. For more than 170 years, the name Hood has been synonymous with fresh, quality products that taste great. Hood’s portfolio of national and super-regional brands and franchise products includes Hood, Simply Smart Milk, Heluva Good!, LACTAID, Blue Diamond Almond Breeze, Hershey’s Milk & Milkshakes, and more. For more information, please visit HPHoodManufacturing.com.