Troyer Farms is the only U.S. manufacturer of potato chips that grows its own potatoes. As a result, Troyer Farms can legitimately claim to produce the freshest chip in the country.
But after March 7, when the company lays off the last of its 350 workers and moves it's operations to York, Pa. (where the headquarters are located of the company is that bought Troyer Farms in 2008), it will not longer be able to make that claim.
I know this doesn't surprise most people, but I think it saddens all of us.
Where will area elementary schools go for field trips now?
What snacks will be donated to charity events now?
Will the chips, popcorn, and pretzels even taste the same?
What will happen to the potato farm?
How does the Troyer family feel about this?
Which Troyer Farms snack is your favorite? Mine is, hands down, the white cheddar popcorn. Scrumptious!
1 comments:
I was gonna sling this at Erie Blogs, but you need more comments here.
"“Labor’s very expensive,” Troyer explained. “We need to get more productivity per person. That’s why we bought the optical sorter. It replaced over 20 people.”
That is the bottom line! Labor!
And where do you think those Troyer potatoes grow? When I lived in Edinboro, the fields were not too far away, although the brothers never got along, and if you sold to one, it was best to hush up. I did.
But the Troyer potatoes in the quote above come from FLORIDA!
See how our potatoes left Waterford/Union City and headed south long ago, and can be found by my home, when I lived in SW Florida.
Read this:
http://fieldandgrove.com/issue/february_2009/article/troyer_brothers_-_no_small_potatoes_01-28-09-02-01
Your follow up queries?
1) Having kids in a factory environment of any kind (like Take Your Daughter To Work Day, to heck with your son) or these kiddo tours, cost liability insurance galore. And company time.
While it is informative, schools today are getting rid of chalk boards and erase boards (Magic Marker) and replacing them with wall sized Internet Screens.
The kiddos can tour any plant online.
2)Donation is another expense, but obviated by tax write-off.
Smith hot dogs got the franchise for Pittsburgh sports fans and the hot dog industry grows accordingly.
Perhaps someone could ask them for a ham or hot dog, but the Food Bank needs them already.
We have donut places galore too.
Splurge on those folks.
3)Taste is identical. The "formula" is sold, along with protected info and machinery.
Hammermill left long ago, and became International Paper.
IP left long ago.
You want Hammermill Bond Fine Paper? Go to Office Max any day of the week.
The product is still made, identical in formula to what Erie factory put out, in demand for high quality laser prints, but not made in Erie anymore. Just sold here.
Chips will be the same, but a bitter "taste" from up and leaving will make us a lousy market for sales. Time heals wounds; we now buy Hammermill Bond by the ream, eh?
4) The farm(s)!
Hero BX, maker of biodiesel, would be wise to grab the farms now. They would of course, grow a new product....feedstocks for themself.
5)The family is silent, but obviously wanted to retire, and no young 'uns wanted to do the family business.....or they would have.
Long ago, I was in their church life group for a spell. They are wonderful people who grieve at loss by anyone. Business decisions are not necessarily identical to family decisions.
The food industry is being cannibalized by itself into Big Agra; not good for consumers, btw.
6) The original chip is far and away my favorite. When my sister moved to Oregon in the 1980's, her first request was for Smith Hot Dogs and Troyer Chips.
Oregon has crap for both products, so we shipped cases of each product west, often.
She is on her own now.
And so are we, sadly.
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