Potatoes, salt, and oil. That鈥檚 all it takes to make the perfect potato chip, according to Paul LaGuardia, owner of . That, he said, and an acceptance of a certain occupational hazard.
鈥淎lways watch your clothes cause things are a little greasy around here,鈥� LaGuardia said, as he opened the gate into the chip production floor.
LaGuardia founded the Akron chip company with his brother, Anthony, and his cousin, Ted Robb. They鈥檙e one of a handful of Ohio snack manufacturers that help make the state a top potato chip producer.
鈥淭here is a proud history of making potato chips here in Ohio,鈥� LaGuardia said.
The making of a potato chip
Hartville Potato Chips make small batch kettle chips, going through thousands of pounds of locally grown potatoes every day. The peeled potatoes tumble down a conveyor belt to be inspected and cut to size before they鈥檙e sliced.
The slices nosedive into a bubbling vat of oil. Once they have the right amount of kettle crisp, the head chef rakes them out and sends them to a tumbler of salt.
鈥淚t basically just drops a waterfall of salt over the chips,鈥� La Guardia said.
That鈥檚 where the process can get a little bit controversial, he said.
鈥淭he hardest part about the job is 50% of people want more salt, 50% of people want less salt. You can never make anyone happy.鈥�
Ohio鈥檚 chip history
LaGuardia believes less is more, so Hartville Potato Chips are on the less seasoned side of the spectrum. But, if you swear by salt, don鈥檛 worry: There are plenty of Ohio-based chips to satisfy your craving.
鈥淓ven though Ohio accounts for only a small portion of the nation's potato harvests, the Buckeye State ranks second only to Pennsylvania in production,鈥� said Alan Richer, a foremost potato chip historian.
Richer is known as the , a nod to Saratoga, where the snack was invented. But despite that New York origin story, he said Ohio鈥檚 contribution to chip history is no small potatoes.
The first potato chip factory . And it was an Ohio resident, , that founded the snack trade association that ensured the salty snack鈥檚 production continued even amid World War II rationing.
鈥淭hey successfully lobbied Congress to have the potato chips declared an essential food group, which meant they could obtain extra gasoline rations for their delivery vehicles and they basically saved the industry,鈥� Richer said.
The state鈥檚 beloved brands
The potato chip industry sprouted up all across the state.
Want a barbecue chip? has been serving them up in Cincinnati for more than a century. Prefer your chips with some texture? 鈥檚 wavy chips in Tiffin have got you covered.
Many of them are family-owned and have been passed down for generations. There鈥檚 in Massillon, in Zanesville and in Mansfield.
The last one is named for the family of owner Bob Jones. He鈥檚 preparing to pass on his business to his son, who will be the company鈥檚 fourth generation chipmaker.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a fun business to be a part of,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淚t is amazing how happy you can make someone by giving them a 25 cent bag of chips. People don鈥檛 get excited like that if you make screwdrivers or wrenches. But people are excited to get a little bag of chips.鈥�
Chipping away
Even so, Ohio鈥檚 beloved regional brands have thinned out a bit in recent years.
Mikesells in Dayton was the longest continually run potato chip company until . And Grippos Ballreich Snack Food Company that same year.
But chippers like LaGuardia are confident that the companies that make the state a top crisp contender will continue to find their fanbase.
鈥淧eople are very dedicated to their potato chips. The consumer for potato chips is very brand loyal. So if they find a potato chip that they like, they'll really stick with it,鈥� LaGuardia said.
