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Ohio is loaded with plants big and small frying up potato chips of many styles, flavors
By Rick Armon
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Wednesday, Apr 23, 2008
They're salty.
Crunchy.
Fried and kettle-cooked.
They come in various flavors and shapes.
And Americans love them.
Since invented in 1853 by accident, potato chips have become a snack food staple — one with deep and growing roots in Ohio.
When family-owned Shearer's Foods announced a major expansion a few weeks ago in Stark County, it further cemented Ohio's — and the region's — already powerful reputation as one of the largest potato chip producers in the nation.
Frito Lay. Ballreich's. Mike-sell's. Conn's. Grippo's.
In all, at least 10 potato chip companies fry and kettle cook their chips in the state, giving Ohio the distinction of having the second-most chip makers in the country. Stark County alone has three: Shearer's, Gold 'N Krisp and Corell's.
And two others — Frito Lay in Wooster and Jones' in Mansfield — are within about an hour's drive.
''It's kind of an unknown secret,'' said Matthew Kleinhenz, an associate professor at the Ohio State University Extension in Wooster. ''The density of chip plants here is pretty high.''
To put this in perspective, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates there are only about 92 plants nationwide. Frito Lay has a network of 32, meaning Ohio is home to 15 percent of the potato chip companies in the U.S.
Neighboring Pennsylvania has the most, with 24 companies, according to that state's agriculture department. And many of those chips are sold in the Buckeye state, giving Ohioans a phenomenal selection at supermarkets, convenience stores and restaurants.
But people here are partial to their regional chips. Cleveland and Akron residents love their Shearer's. The Toledo area has Ballreich's. Central Ohio has Conn's in Zanesville. North Central has Jones' in Mansfield. Mike-sell's is in Dayton. Grippo's is a favorite in Cincinnati.
Then there are Herr's and Frito Lay, two companies based outside the state, but operating plants here.
''Ohio has got some really good cookers and
everybody is trying to get bigger,'' said Callie Haplea, director of sales and marketing for Anchor's Chip of the Month Club in Toledo. ''And people are so particular about their chips.''
Why?
Ohio has a long and storied history when it comes to potato chips, a $6.3 billion industry in the U.S.
While they were invented in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., chip making blossomed in the Buckeye State thanks to pioneering companies such as Mike-sell's, Husman's, Num-Num in Cleveland and the Salem Potato Chip Co., a one-time Akron company.
The National Potato Chip Institute was even founded in Cleveland in the late 1930s. It later became the Snack Food Association and moved to Alexandria, Va.
Of course, having history on your side doesn't guarantee success.
''I can't say why Ohio has been such a hub for potato chip companies other than the Midwest has been a meat and potato part of the country,'' said Luke Mapp, marketing manager for Mike-sell's, one of the oldest chip companies in the U.S. ''Potato chips go hand in hand with meat and potatoes.''
Ohio has remained strong in potato chips for a variety of reasons, experts said.
Having a large market for your product doesn't hurt, and Ohio is the seventh-most populous state, with several major cities.
The northern climate helps, too. Some of the best chipping potatoes are grown in North Dakota and Michigan. And potatoes can't be stored in higher temperatures.
Then, there's brand loyalty. People have grown up with their regional chips and aren't interested in others.
Love those chips
Doug Barnes is a potato chip junkie.
So whenever he travels, he keeps an eye out for regional brands. Anything new ends up in the shopping cart.
''I love potato chips,'' said Barnes, 57, a former Cuyahoga Falls resident who now lives in Port St. Lucie, Fla. ''I love the taste of potato chips. I love a crunchy chip, a salty chip. It's like I'm addicted to them.''
He's far from alone. Americans eat nearly 17 pounds of potato chips per capita each year.
For Barnes, Ohio is a potato chip gold mine and home to his all-time favorite: Corell's.
''When we take a trip, we buy every different brand around but I always revert back to Corell's,'' he said.
He has the kettle chips delivered through the mail to his home.
That's not surprising at all to owner Dan Meenan, who makes them in small batches in a concrete block building the size of a double-wide trailer in Beach City. In fact, the building — which could be mistaken for an auto garage — is in a trailer park and has been home to Corell's for the last 50 years. The company itself has been around for about 75 years.
Meenan once used a different oil in the kettle by mistake.
''I started getting hate mail,'' he said with a laugh.
He loved the new taste, but quickly changed it back.
''It's the original recipe,'' he said. ''I can't tinker with it or I'll be out of business quick.''
Corell's makes one kind of chip: kettle. That's it. No fancy flavors or special low-fat versions.
It's the same way for Gold 'N Krisp up the road in Massillon in a fancier pole barn-type building.
Odell Gainey has run the company for 38 years and developed a passionate following. He has even shipped chips to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, giving new meaning to the company slogan ''Internationally known.''
Big chippers
In the potato chip industry, everyone looks up to Frito Lay, the Plano, Texas, company that makes the national brands Lay's and Ruffles.
''There's no doubt they are king,'' OSU Extension's Kleinhenz said. ''All the other regional makers would love to have some of the shelf space that Frito occupies.''
In Wooster, the company employs about 375 workers and churns out everything from potato chips to Doritos.
''People don't think of us that way, but we are very much a regional company,'' corporate spokeswoman Aurora Gonzalez said.
In Ohio, Shearer's — which makes some chips for Frito Lay — also is a big player and its chips can be found nationwide. And the company is getting bigger.
Shearer's Foods, now based in Brewster, announced this month it will spend $66.5 million to build a new snack-food plant and headquarters in Massillon, adding at least 180 new full-time jobs over the next three years.
Since the company last expanded its Brewster facility in 1998, the employment ranks have swelled from fewer than 200 to 668.
Workers now produce 100 million pounds of snacks a year — double the amount from just three years ago.
Not bad for a family who started in 1974 only as a snack food distributor and didn't begin making its own chips until 1979.
''We would be considered the new kid on the block,'' President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Shearer said with a smile.
He attributes the company's success to making tasty snacks, pouring profits back into the business, always expanding and constantly looking for new flavors for the ever-changing interest of consumers.
''We always say there's a lot of art and a lot of science that meet when you're making potato chips,'' company spokesman Paul Smith said.
Trends
One of the major trends in the potato chip industry involves flavors.
It's not like days gone by, when consumers had a choice of regular, barbecue or sour cream and onion.
This year, Shearer's unveiled five new flavors, including Pepperoni Pizza and Southwest Chili and Cheese.
''You have across the board a consumer who's increasingly looking for new flavors, new options,'' said Christopher Clark, vice president of operations and membership at the Snack Food Association. ''It seems like the industry has responded pretty well to that.''
Consumers also are looking for healthier chips. The industry is now making lower sodium and lower fat versions.
Let's face it, though, chips aren't the healthiest snack in the world.
That's all right with Barnes, the potato chip junkie.
''The good stuff is always the bad stuff for you,'' he said.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.
They're salty.
Get the full article here.
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