Jones’ Potato Chip Company History
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Family Made Since 1945
The Beginning
It started with a dilemma. Back in the early 1940’s Frederick W. Jones was a potato chip distributor with no potato chips to sell. His normal supplier was struggling to keep up with production. The solution came in two parts. Frederick’s supplier gave their blessing to form his own potato chip company. Equally important, his supplier graciously provided much-needed experience, teaching Frederick how to produce excellent potato chips. The Jones Potato Chip Company was born.
Frederick cooked his potato chips by hand in a kettle. The chips were lifted out of the hot oil in a basket and spread out on a counter to cool and to be salted. Then the potato chips would be put into wax bags, stapled shut, ready to be put into cartons to be delivered to local stores and restaurants. The wax bags did not protect the chips from light or moisture very well; providing quality potato chips to the customers was a challenge. The difficulties in producing a high quality product drove many of the local hometown potato chip companies out of business. The companies that overcame the obstacles to produce good-tasting products thrived.
The Difference
When the Jones Potato Chip Company was created, there were no wavy potato chips in the Mansfield, Ohio, area. From the beginning, Jones Potato Chips used the term “Marcelled” to describe their wavy-style chips. Frederick used this to differentiate his product and get his potato chips into the local stores.
Once business was secured, it was essential to keep the customers. Frederick’s willingness to service his stores better than any of his competitors was a critical factor in maintaining the relationship with each customer. Frederick was also determined to make every package of Jones Potato Chips that left his factory of the highest possible quality. Frederick commented, “Stores sell potato chips one package at a time and customers eat potato chips one package at a time.” Frederick wanted each bag sold, each chip savored, to be an enjoyable experience.
The unique-tasting Jones Potato Chips became a local favorite and the company grew. In order to increase production, pieces of automated equipment were added to the cooking process. By the 1960’s everything from peeling potatoes, slicing, frying, salting, and packaging were fully automated.
A Family Affair
The Jones Potato Chip Company is truly a family organization. Frederick, his wife Elaine, and all six of their children have worked in the business. Through the years, over forty family members have been employed by the company. Frederick and Elaine Jones retired in 1986.
The Jones Potato Chip Company strives to maintain a family atmosphere within the company. Success would not have been possible without the steadfast and loyal effort of many individuals over the years. The hard work and dedication of our employees, both past and present, has contributed greatly to the Jones Potato Chip Company.
There is one part of the “family” that we have yet to mention: our customers. There are many customers that have eaten Jones Potato Chips for years and years. Thank you! If you haven’t tried Jones Potato Chips we invite you to join the “family”. It is with great pride that we continue to make great-tasting potato chips and snack foods and can truly say, “Family Made Since 1945.”
A Quick History of the Potato Chip
The potato chip was invented in 1853 by George Crum. Crum was a Native American/African American chef at the Moon Lake Lodge resort in Saratoga Springs, New York, USA. French fries were popular at the restaurant, and one day a diner complained that the fries were too thick. Although Crum made a thinner batch, the customer was still unsatisfied. Crum finally made fries that were too thin to eat with a fork, hoping to annoy the extremely fussy customer. The customer, surprisingly enough, was happy – and potato chips were invented!
Crum’s chips were originally called Saratoga Chips and potato crunches. They were soon packaged and sold in New England – Crum later opened his own restaurant.
William Tappendon manufactured and marketed the chips in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1895. In the 1920s, a salesman named Herman Lay sold potato chips to the southern USA (selling the chips from the trunk of his car). In 1926, Laura Scudder (who owned a potato chip factory in Monterey Park, California) invented a wax paper potato chip bag to keep the chips fresh and crunchy. With further technology, innovation, and a countless number of variations and flavors, potato chips have only grown in popularity over the years!
We love our snacks. But for much of modern history, snacks were regarded as lower-class and therefore undesirable.
Often associated with unhygienic street vendors, snack items were not appealing to the general public until the 1920s, when pretzels underwent a rebranding to recoup business lost because of Prohibition in the United States.
One major facet of the rebrand was packaging (of course). Packaging allowed sellers to reduce contamination risk and position their products as safe and legitimate, as well as offer a new canvas for branding and advertising. So pretzels soon soared in popularity, bringing with them a slew of other snack foods like nuts and popcorn, and later the abundance of snacks we currently see on store shelves.
Today, snacks are a vital component of convenient modern life. In fact, 94% of U.S. adults confess to eating a snack within the last 24 hours!
So join us for Snack Packaging History 101 to learn where your favorite snack packages came from. Don't worry, we promise there won't be a test.
Hungry for more packaging history? Check out the first article in our Packaging History 101 series: The evolution of coffee packaging.
Pre-1900s - Snack packaging firsts
1700 - 1800
In 1779, Pemmican, developed by the North American Cree Indians and introduced into the food trade by U.S. soldier Peter Pond, was an energy-producing and filling 'snack' made of fat and protein from large game animals. After the meat was dried into a jerky-like texture, it was mixed with melted fat and, if available, dried fruits. Pemmican was packed and stored in rawhide pouches.
1800 - 1900
In 1896, the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) was the first company to use folding cartons to package their crackers.
Before 1900, crackers and chips were largely sold out of large barrels. Consumers relied on the storekeeper to scoop them into a bag for purchase. This often left the snacks at the bottom of the containers crushed and stale, and therefore unusable.
Early 1900s - Cardboard and paper dominate snack packaging
1900 - 1906
In 1900, Frank Peters patented wax paper lined cardboard boxes to help keep crackers fresh. Friends with the President of the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco), his invention (called In-Er-Seal) was soon adopted to package Uneeda Biscuit crackers.
In 1906, the Kellogg brothers were the first to package their cereal in cartons. First used as a health food at their Michigan Sanatorium, their cereal was later sweetened and mass-marketed with a heat-sealed bag of Waxtite wrapped around the outside of the cereal box. Later, the plastic outer wrap was transferred inward to become the modern plastic liner found inside cardboard cereal boxes.
Kellogg's cereal boxes were also the first to contain an in-box prize.
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1908
Multi Head Pouch Packing Machine
Unlocking the Secrets: The Benefits of Using Linear WeigherThe Leominster Potato Chip Company was the first to sell potato chips commercially. They were sold to shopkeepers in bulk tins and glass jars which were then scooped into smaller tins or bags for consumers to transport home.
1924
Kellogg’s began packaging cereal in wax paper bags that were then packed into cardboard boxes. This bag-in-box method is still widely used today.
1926
Now begins the history of modern potato chip packaging!
Laura Scudder of California began using sealed wax paper bags to package potato chips. Her workers would iron 3 edges of the wax paper together to form a pouch shape, manually package the chips into the bags, and use heat from an iron to seal the top edge shut.
This was considered the first use of consumer chip packaging in bags and allowed the product to stay fresh longer and prevented the crushing that often resulted from packaging fragile snack product in bulk. This invention allowed potato chips to become a mass-market product.
1936
Walter Zwoyer of the Henry Hyde Candy Company invented the vertical form fill seal machine, which would become the standard packaging equipment in many snack companies.
Mid 1900s - Convenience becomes king
1940
Convenience stores arrived on the scene, becoming a popular quick-stop for snacks. As the prevalence of convenience stores grew, packaging became more convenient with the addition of easy-open and easy-dispense features, reclosable zippers, and smaller portable sizes.
1947
After being fried, Snyder's Potato Chips were dumped into large barrels and transported to a packaging room where they were dumped on tables and manually shoveled into bags. The chip bags were weighed by one employee, another folded the bag down, and another employee stapled the bag shut. They were then put into boxes for distribution via rail.
1952
Cheez Whiz was developed by Kraft Foods, packaged in a glass jar. It wouldn't be until 1965 that a competitor, Nabisco, released their version of the canned cheese spread that was propelled through a nozzle.
1956
An organic chemist named Fred Bair was enlisted by Proctor & Gamble to create a new type of chip that would be uniform in size and resist breaking. After coming up with the recipe for Pringles, he also invented the iconic tubular aluminum-coated can.
Mid to late 1900s - Dawn of modern snack packaging machines and materials
1958
This was the year that the first plastic bags were introduced in the snack market. These bags were composed of laminated plastic layers and aluminum to keep air and light out and increase product shelf life. Despite the obvious benefits, it would take about 20 years for this packaging format to dominate the market standard wax paper bags.
1963
Louis Doyen, a French inventor, invented the Doypack, or stand-up pouch. Today, the plastic Doy style bag is widely used for specialty snacks, giving the product a premium look. Portable and convenient, usually with reclosable zippers, the stand-up pouch is a staple of the modern snack industry.
1965
Snyder's Potato Chips installed a form fill seal packaging machine that formed a paper bag from a continuous roll, filled it with the proper amount of chips, sealed the bag, and cut it off from the packaging roll.
1968
Hunt's Snack Packs debuted, packaged in metal tins with pull-tab tops. By 1984, the tins (and their scary sharp metal tops) were replaced with the safer plastic cups we still see today.
1970
The popularity of wax paper snack bags begins to wane, with plastic bags officially taking the lead in the snack market.
Snyder's Potato Chips installed a high-speed form fill seal machine that could form, fill, and seal at a rate of 74 chip bags per minute.
Late 1900s to early 2000s - Snacking convenience redefined
1974 - 1988
One of the weirdest inventions in snacking history, Gerber Singles for adults, was introduced in 1974. The product was single-serve precooked and pureed foods packaged into glass jars with an intended market of adults living on their own for the first time. Needless to say, this fell flat.
As any child of the 1980s will tell you, Lunchables were a game-changer. Invented in 1988 and packaged into bento boxes (plastic sealed and divided trays), they offered a convenient premade portable snack or meal.
1990 -1999
Introduced in 1990 in tetrahedron packages, Minute Maid Juice Bars were frozen treats that mimicked the feel of an icee.
In 1994, snack nuts were first packaged into stand-up reclosable pouches.
In 1999, Yoplait's Go-Gurt was introduced as portable yogurt in child-friendly easy-open single-serve plastic stick packs.
2002
Frit-Lay created Go Snacks, which were packaged in canisters that fit in car cup holders.
Early 2010s - Snack packaging sustainability is hot
2010
Sunchips created a biodegradable bag made from polylactic acid (PLA), which is a corn-based polymer. The packaging launch failed spectacularly after consumers complained that the crinkling sound from the packaging was way too loud.
2012
Utz Quality Foods create a system that integrates with vertical form fill seal machinery to wrap six single-serving potato chip bags in clear film, creating a stackable package that resembles a bread bag.
David Edwards, a Bioengineer from Harvard, developed edible packaging for snack foods like yogurt.
2018
Futamura debuted a 100% plastic-free compostable chip bag made from barrier film. The bag was the first of its kind on the European market.
Learn about modern snack packaging trends
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