As a young paper company salesman, Harry Husman supplied bags and packing materials to grocery stores in the Cincinnati area. On several occasions, he overheard customers request potato chips and grocers reply that they were waiting on the next order to arrive.

Harry began inquiring of grocers why they were often out of potato chips. The grocers explained that the snacks were purchased from out of town, and the supply was difficult to control. Harry asked that if he made potato chips, whether the grocers would buy from him rather than someone out of town. The responses he received were encouraging, so at age 24, he started the Husman Potato Products Company in 1919.

The first plant was located on the second floor at 414 Laurel Street in Cincinnati. Harry used a pulley and rope to haul bags of potatoes up through the window and into his “Sunlit Kitchen.” As the company grew and expanded into more and larger plants, the technology evolved. In 1937, Husman’s installed its first automatic potato chip fryer, which produced 800 pounds an hour versus 50 pounds an hour by hand. Husman’s first semiautomatic packaging machines took the place of hand packing in 1949. And in 1958, the second automatic fryer was installed for a total production rate of 1,600 pounds an hour across four packaging lines.

We’ve experienced a lot of positive growth and change over the decades, and thanks to the dedication of our enthusiastic teams, Husman’s will be making the snack of choice for generations to come.

As a young paper company salesman, Harry Husman supplied bags and packing materials to grocery stores in the Cincinnati area. On several occasions, he overheard customers request potato chips and grocers reply that they were waiting on the next order to arrive.

Harry began inquiring of grocers why they were often out of potato chips. The grocers explained that the snacks were purchased from out of town, and the supply was difficult to control. Harry asked that if he made potato chips, whether the grocers would buy from him rather than someone out of town. The responses he received were encouraging, so at age 24, he started the Husman Potato Products Company in 1919.

The first plant was located on the second floor at 414 Laurel Street in Cincinnati. Harry used a pulley and rope to haul bags of potatoes up through the window and into his “Sunlit Kitchen.” As the company grew and expanded into more and larger plants, the technology evolved. In 1937, Husman’s installed its first automatic potato chip fryer, which produced 800 pounds an hour versus 50 pounds an hour by hand. Husman’s first semiautomatic packaging machines took the place of hand packing in 1949. And in 1958, the second automatic fryer was installed for a total production rate of 1,600 pounds an hour across four packaging lines.

We’ve experienced a lot of positive growth and change over the decades, and thanks to the dedication of our enthusiastic teams, Husman’s will be making the snack of choice for generations to come.