Wyandot Snacks facts for kids

Wyandot Snacks is a company in Marion, Ohio, that makes yummy snacks. It's a family-owned business. They make snacks for other big snack brands around the world. They also make snacks for restaurants and food services. Their main products are crunchy extruded snacks, corn chips, tortilla chips, and ready-to-eat popcorn. Wyandot is special because they focus on making snacks from plants. They use healthy ingredients like ancient grains (like sorghum and quinoa), beans (like chickpeas), and flaxseed.

The Story of Wyandot Snacks

How Wyandot Started

Wyandot Popcorn Company began in 1936. It was started by Hoover and Ava Brown during a tough time called the Great Depression. The Browns were farmers in Ohio. They decided to plant 100 acres of popcorn. This helped them earn more money from their farm. Popcorn was a popular and affordable treat back then.

Growing with Popcorn

In 1948, the company created a new part called Popped-Right Corn Company. This part sold ready-to-eat popcorn to movie theaters. Popped-Right also worked with a local candy company, Shirk's. Together, they made one of the first recipes for caramel popcorn. This made caramel popcorn popular everywhere.

Expanding into New Snacks

By 1964, both Wyandot Popcorn and Popped-Right moved their offices to Marion, Ohio. They still processed raw popcorn on the farm. In the 1960s, Popped-Right started making corn-based snacks. This was led by Warren Brown, one of the founders' sons. They wanted to help smaller snack companies compete with bigger ones like Frito Lay.

The raw popcorn business also grew a lot. George Brown, another son, led this part of the company. Wyandot sold 50 million pounds of popcorn to over 75 countries. This was almost a quarter of all raw popcorn traded worldwide! By the 1980s, Wyandot was the second-largest popcorn maker in the United States. In 1981, both parts of the business became one company, Wyandot, Inc.

Changes and New Directions

In 1981, Wyandot bought another snack factory in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Later, in 1989, Wyandot sold its raw popcorn business. They wanted to focus more on making snacks for other companies. In 2004, they sold the Jeffersonville plant.

In the early 2000s, Wyandot made famous snacks like Cracker Jack for Frito Lay. They also made Pringles Select chips when Pringles was owned by P&G.

New Leaders and Certifications

In 2018, Wyandot added new experts to its board of directors. These people had lots of experience in the snack industry. In 2021, Jolie Weber, another experienced leader, joined the board.

In January 2020, Wyandot became a B Corporation. This means they meet high standards for being good to people and the planet. Wyandot is one of the biggest food companies in the world to get this special certification.

Products and Manufacturing Capabilities

Wyandot makes many different kinds of snacks. They use special machines to create unique shapes and textures.

Types of Snacks Wyandot Makes

• Extruded Snacks: These are snacks like curls and puffs. They can be made from corn, rice, or even beans like chickpeas and peas. Some are even made from fruits and vegetables. They can also add vitamins and minerals to these snacks.
• Ready-to-Eat Popcorn: They make popcorn that is ready to eat. Some is popped with hot air, and some is popped in a kettle with oil.
• Corn-Based Snacks: This includes classic corn chips, tortilla chips, and tortilla strips.

Wyandot also used to make special chips from chickpeas and different vegetables.