Mister Bee Potato Chips is an American brand of potato chips produced in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the only potato chip manufacturer in West Virginia. Founded in 1951 by Leo and Sara Klein as a small local business, the company was family-owned until 2010. It is now incorporated as West Virginia Potato Chip Company, LLC, and since 2015 has been owned by Mary Anne Ketelson and partners.
Leo and Sara Klein founded Mister Bee Potato Chips in 1951, initially making the chips in the morning and delivering them in the afternoon. The company moved to its current site in 1962 and was a million-dollar company by the end of 1972. Leo Klein was succeeded as head of the company in 1979 by his son Alan, who took the title of CEO in 1988, and by 2010 Alan Klein's son Doug was President and COO. [1] [2]
In 2010, the company experienced financial difficulties after losing distribution contracts. In late 2011, production was reduced and then stopped and the company entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy. [3] [4] In 2012 it was purchased by Randall Holden and James Richard Barton, [5] and Christie Mallett replaced Doug Klein as company president. [6] Holden subsequently took over as president. After a fire damaged the production plant in March 2013, the company renovated. [5] [7]
Mister Bee Potato Chip Company became West Virginia Potato Chip Company by 2013. [2] [5] In September 2015 it was purchased by Mary Anne (Welch) Ketelsen, Douglas Ketelsen, James Richard Barton, Gregory Barton, and Gregory Reed, and additional financing from Mary Maxine Welch. [2] Reed became president. [8] Mary Anne Ketelson, as majority owner, took over operations in 2018 and new equipment was installed that made possible an increase in production. [9] An expansion of the plant received initial approval in 2020. [10] As of June 2021 [update] the company had 47 employees. [11] As of May 2023, Kevin Holden, founder and CEO of Bite Brands of Atlanta, Ga., became majority owner. Mary Anne Ketelsen will remain as an owner of the company. [12]
West Virginia Potato Chip Company is the only remaining potato chip manufacturer in West Virginia, [13] and formerly used the slogan "200 miles fresher" to emphasize that its chips were not shipped into the state from elsewhere. [8] It sells Mister Bee potato chips in West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky as well as online; [9] in July–September 2021, distribution was expanded temporarily to Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. [11] As of August 2021 [update] it produces eight varieties of potato chips, original, sour cream and onion, barbecue, dip style, cheddar sour cream, honey barbecue, jalapeño, and salt and vinegar, and also potato sticks; [14] it also produces chips for other brands. [9]
In 2023, Mister Bee introduced West Virginia-themed chips, such as Pepperoni Roll and "304-style." [15]
A potato chip or crisp is a thin slice of potato that has been deep fried, baked, or air fried until crunchy. They are commonly served as a snack, side dish, or appetizer. The basic chips are cooked and salted; additional varieties are manufactured using various flavorings and ingredients including herbs, spices, cheeses, other natural flavors, artificial flavors, and additives.
Parkersburg is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, West Virginia, United States. Located at the confluence of the Ohio and Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's fourth-most populous city and the center of the Parkersburg–Vienna metropolitan area. The city's population was 29,749 at the 2020 census, and its metro population was 89,490. The city is about 14 miles (23 km) south of Marietta, Ohio.
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Lay's is a brand of potato chips with different flavors, as well as the name of the company that founded the chip brand in the United States. The brand is also referred to as Frito-Lay, as both Lay's and Fritos are brands sold by the Frito-Lay company, which has been a wholly owned subsidiary of PepsiCo since 1965. Frito-Lay primarily uses the brand name "Lay's" in the United States, and uses other brand names in some other countries, such as Walkers in the UK and Ireland, and Smith's in Australia.
The Smith's Snackfood Company is a British-Australian snack food brand owned by the American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation PepsiCo. It is best known for its brand of potato crisps. The company was founded by Frank Smith and Jim Viney in the United Kingdom in 1920 as Smiths Potato Crisps Ltd, originally packaging a twist of salt with its crisps in greaseproof paper bags which were sold around London. The dominant brand in the UK until the 1960s when Golden Wonder took over with Cheese & Onion, Smith's countered by creating Salt & Vinegar flavour which was launched nationally in 1967.
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Rax Roast Beef is a regional U.S. fast food restaurant chain specializing in roast beef sandwiches. The company has been through many iterations, declaring bankruptcy more than once, rising to as many as 504 locations in 38 U.S. states in the 1980s and falling to fewer than 20 locations on more than one occasion. As of 2024, Rax is based in Ironton, Ohio, and has only six franchisee-owned restaurants still in operation in three states.
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Mikesell's Potato Chip Company is a Dayton, Ohio-based producer of potato chips and other snack foods. It bills itself as the "oldest continuously operating potato chip company in the United States." In 2010, Mikesell's celebrated its 100th year as a potato chip brand. Mikesell's products are available in retail markets in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois. They may also be ordered online from the company's website and shipped anywhere outside the company's retail area.
Herr's is an American brand of potato chips and other snack foods produced and marketed by eponymous private American company Herr Foods Inc. based in Nottingham, Pennsylvania. While their products are sold primarily throughout the Eastern United States and Canada, their stronghold is the Mid-Atlantic region. Herr's products are sold in all 50 American states and in over 40 countries.
Pleasants Power Station is a 1.3-gigawatt coal power plant located near Belmont, West Virginia in Pleasants County, West Virginia. The plant is owned by Energy Harbor and began operations in 1979. The power plant was the site of the Willow Island disaster in 1978.
Ogden Newspapers Inc. is a Wheeling, West Virginia based publisher of daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, telephone directories, and shoppers guides.
United Bankshares, Inc. is a bank holding company dual-headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia and Fairfax, Virginia with operations in West Virginia, Virginia, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia in the United States. United Bankshares is the parent company of United Bank which comprises nearly 250 offices in eight states. In addition, UBSI is the parent company to subsidiaries George Mason Mortgage, United Brokerage, and Crescent Mortgage.
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Ira Middleswarth & Son, Inc., more commonly referred to as Middleswarth Potato Chips, is an American potato chip manufacturer.
Christopher Wayne Toney is an American politician who has served as a Delegate from the 31st District to the West Virginia House of Delegates since 2018. He is a Republican.
Route 11 Potato Chips is an American brand and manufacturer of kettle-cooked potato chips based in Mount Jackson, Virginia, United States, located in the Shenandoah Valley. The company competes with other Mid-Atlantic potato chip companies such as Martin's Potato Chips and Utz Brands.