Wyandot Snacks facts for kids

Wyandot Snacks is a family-owned company in Marion, Ohio, USA. They make lots of different snacks like chips and popcorn. They don't usually sell snacks under their own name. Instead, they make snacks for other big companies and restaurants around the world.

Wyandot Snacks is special because they focus on making snacks from healthy plant-based ingredients. These include things like ancient grains (such as sorghum and quinoa), pulses (like chickpeas), and flaxseed. Their main products are crunchy extruded snacks, corn and tortilla chips, and ready-to-eat popcorn.

How Wyandot Snacks Started

Wyandot Popcorn Company began during the Great Depression in Wyandot County, Ohio. It was founded in 1936 by a couple named Hoover and Ava Brown. Ava's father, George W. King, helped start the Marion Power Shovel Company.

The Browns were farmers who grew grains and raised animals. They decided to try something new to earn more money. So, they planted 100 acres of popcorn. Popcorn was a very popular and affordable treat in America at that time.

Making Ready-to-Eat Popcorn

In 1948, the Browns started a new part of their business called Popped-Right Corn Company. This company's first job was to sell ready-to-eat popcorn to movie theaters. Popped-Right even worked with a local candy company, Shirk's, to create one of the first recipes for caramel popcorn that could be sold widely.

Growing the Snack Business

In 1964, Wyandot Popcorn and Popped-Right moved their offices to a new building in Marion, Ohio. They still processed raw popcorn on the farm. In the 1960s, Popped-Right, led by the Browns' son Warren, started making corn-based snacks. They supplied these snacks to smaller chip companies that wanted to compete with bigger brands like Frito Lay.

The raw popcorn business also grew a lot, led by another son, George Brown. Wyandot was selling 50 million pounds of popcorn! They sold it to over 75 countries, which was almost a quarter of all the raw popcorn traded globally. By the 1980s, Wyandot was the second-largest popcorn processor in the United States. In 1981, both parts of the business became one company, called Wyandot, Inc.

Changes Over the Years

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. Because of this, they sold the Jeffersonville factory in 2004.

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

Becoming a B Corporation

In January 2020, Wyandot became a certified B Corporation. This means they meet high standards for being good for people and the planet, not just making money. Wyandot is one of the biggest food and drink companies that makes products for other brands to get this special certification.

Products and What They Can Make

Wyandot Snacks has special machines that can make many different kinds of snacks.

Crunchy Puffs and Curls

They use machines called "extruders" to make snacks that are puffed up or curled. These can be made from corn, rice, or pulses (like chickpeas, beans, or peas). They can also add fruits, vegetables, or even vitamins and minerals to these snacks. Some snacks are made with ancient grains too.

Ready-to-Eat Popcorn

Wyandot makes popcorn in two ways:

• Air-popped: This is made using hot air, like a healthy snack.
• Kettle-popped: This is made in a kettle, often with a little oil and sugar, for a sweeter taste.

Corn-Based Snacks

They also make popular corn snacks, including:

• Corn chips
• Tortilla chips
• Tortilla strips

Wyandot used to have a special machine from P&G that could make unique chips. These included chips made from chickpeas or mixes of different vegetables.