Wyandot Snacks

Wyandot Snacks is a privately held, family-owned food manufacturer headquartered in Marion, Ohio. The company primarily produces snacks for other food businesses rather than building a large consumer-facing portfolio under its own name. Its customers include domestic and international branded snack companies, regional snack marketers, and foodservice businesses. This contract-manufacturing model allows Wyandot to provide product development, processing, and manufacturing capacity for products that may ultimately be sold under customers’ brands. The business traces its origins to the Great Depression, when Hoover and Ava (King) Brown diversified their family’s agricultural activities by planting popcorn in Wyandot County, Ohio. In 1936, the Browns planted their first 100 acres and began growing and selling raw popcorn. The crop benefited from popcorn’s status as an affordable American snack during a period of economic hardship. The company later expanded beyond agricultural production into processing and ready-to-eat products. In 1948, the family established Popped-Right Corn Company to sell ready-to-eat popcorn to movie theatres. Working with Marion confectioner Shirk’s, Popped-Right developed an early commercially oriented caramel-popcorn formula. During the 1960s, the company broadened its activities again. Under Warren Brown, Popped-Right moved into corn-based snacks made for regional potato-chip marketers seeking alternatives to the products of increasingly dominant national competitors. Meanwhile, George Brown led the continued expansion of the raw-popcorn operation. The two businesses consolidated their office operations in Marion in 1964, while raw-popcorn processing remained connected to the family farm in Wyandot County. By the late twentieth century, the popcorn operation had become a substantial international business, reportedly selling tens of millions of pounds of popcorn into more than 75 countries. In 1981, the popcorn and snack activities were consolidated under Wyandot, Inc., and the company purchased an additional snack-manufacturing facility in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Wyandot later reshaped its portfolio around snack manufacturing and contract production. It sold the raw-popcorn operation in 1989 and disposed of the Jeffersonville plant in 2004 as it placed greater emphasis on contract manufacturing rather than private-label production and regional potato-chip business. During the 2000s, the company manufactured products including Cracker Jack for Frito-Lay and Pringles Select chips when the Pringles business was owned by Procter & Gamble. Today, Wyandot’s principal capabilities include extrusion, corn and tortilla snack production, and ready-to-eat popcorn. Its extrusion platform can produce curls and puffs using corn, rice, pulses such as chickpeas, beans, and peas, fruits and vegetables, ancient grains, and fortified formulations. Its popcorn operations include both air-popped and kettle-popped products. The company also develops plant-based and better-for-you snack concepts using ingredients such as sorghum, quinoa, chickpeas, and flaxseed. In January 2020, Wyandot became a certified B Corporation, positioning the certification as part of its broader social and environmental responsibility profile. The company remains a family-owned contract manufacturer rather than a publicly traded branded-snack conglomerate.

Wyandot Snacks began as an agricultural enterprise founded by Hoover and Ava (King) Brown in Wyandot County, Ohio. In 1936, the Browns planted their first 100 acres of popcorn as a way to supplement the family’s farming income from grain and livestock. Popcorn was especially attractive during the Great Depression because it was an inexpensive treat and could be marketed broadly. The family entered ready-to-eat popcorn in 1948 by forming the Popped-Right Corn Company. Its initial market was movie theatres, and the business worked with Marion candy maker Shirk’s on an early caramel-popcorn formulation intended for wider commercial use. During the 1960s, Popped-Right expanded into corn-based snacks. Warren Brown directed this diversification, supplying regional potato-chip marketers that wanted to compete with the growing reach of Frito-Lay. George Brown continued to oversee the raw-popcorn business, which expanded substantially. In 1964, Wyandot Popcorn and Popped-Right consolidated their office functions in a new Marion facility, although raw-popcorn processing continued on the family’s Wyandot County farm. The popcorn operation eventually reached international scale, with reported sales of approximately 50 million pounds and distribution to more than 75 countries. By the 1980s, Wyandot was described as the second-largest popcorn processor in the United States. In 1981, the two operations were formally consolidated under Wyandot, Inc., and the company acquired a second snack plant in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The company subsequently moved away from owning a large raw-popcorn operation and toward contract snack manufacturing. In 1989, it sold the raw-popcorn operation to Vogel Popcorn, which later sold it to ConAgra Foods. Wyandot sold the Jeffersonville facility in 2004 as it concentrated more heavily on contract manufacturing instead of private-label products and business from regional potato-chip companies. During the 2000s, it produced Cracker Jack for Frito-Lay and Pringles Select chips for Pringles while the latter brand was owned by Procter & Gamble. Wyandot’s modern manufacturing platform centers on extrusion, corn and tortilla snacks, and ready-to-eat popcorn. Its extrusion systems support single- and twin-screw production of curls and puffs from corn, rice, pulses, fruits, vegetables, ancient grains, and fortified blends. The company also produces air-popped and kettle-popped popcorn, along with corn chips, tortilla chips, and tortilla strips. Its product-development focus includes plant-based snacks made with ingredients such as sorghum, quinoa, chickpeas, and flaxseed. In March 2018, the company added three experienced snack and food executives to its board: James Kairos, Blake Thompson, and Steve Van Tassel. Jolie Weber joined the board in 2021. Wyandot was certified as a B Corporation in January 2020. The certification and the company’s emphasis on plant-based formulations form part of its current identity as a family-owned, business-to-business snack manufacturer serving branded-food and foodservice customers.

1. 2021Jolie Weber joins the board

   Jolie Weber, an executive with experience at Lenny & Larry’s and Wise Foods, joins the board.

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2. 2020B Corporation certification

   Wyandot receives certification as a B Corporation.

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3. 2018Three industry veterans join the board

   James Kairos, Blake Thompson, and Steve Van Tassel are elected to Wyandot’s board.

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4. 2004Jeffersonville plant is sold

   The company sells its Jeffersonville facility while increasing its emphasis on contract manufacturing.

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5. 1989Raw-popcorn operation is sold

   Wyandot sells its raw-popcorn operation to Vogel Popcorn, beginning a clearer shift toward snack manufacturing.

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6. 1981Businesses consolidate under Wyandot, Inc.

   The popcorn and snack operations are consolidated under Wyandot, Inc.; the company also purchases a snack facility in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

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7. 1964Operations consolidate in Marion

   Wyandot Popcorn and Popped-Right combine office operations in Marion while raw-popcorn processing remains connected to the farm in Wyandot County.

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8. 1948Popped-Right Corn Company is established

   The family creates a subsidiary to sell ready-to-eat popcorn, initially targeting movie theatres.

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9. 1936The Brown family enters popcorn production

   Hoover and Ava Brown plant the family’s first 100 acres of popcorn in Wyandot County, Ohio, establishing the agricultural foundation of the business.

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A family-owned, innovation-oriented contract manufacturer specializing in scalable snack production, including extrusion, corn and tortilla snacks, ready-to-eat popcorn, and plant-based formulations.

• Extruded snacksSnack foods

  Wyandot manufactures extruded curls, puffs, and related shapes using single- and twin-screw extrusion. Formulations can be based on corn and rice or incorporate pulses such as chickpeas, beans, and peas, as well as fruits, vegetables, ancient grains, vitamins, and minerals. The capability is suited to contract customers seeking different textures, ingredient profiles, and nutritional positioning.

• Corn and tortilla snacksSnack foods

  The company produces corn chips, tortilla chips, and tortilla strips for branded snack and foodservice customers. These products extend Wyandot’s historical expertise in corn-based snacks, which developed during the 1960s when Popped-Right began serving regional potato-chip marketers.

• Ready-to-eat popcornPopcorn1948

  Wyandot produces ready-to-eat popcorn using both air-popping and kettle-popping methods. The line connects the company’s current manufacturing business with its historical popcorn operations and the Popped-Right Corn Company, which began supplying movie theatres in 1948.

• Plant-based and ancient-grain snacksBetter-for-you and plant-based snacks

  Wyandot develops snack concepts using plant-based ingredients including sorghum, quinoa, chickpeas, other pulses, and flaxseed. The company also describes capabilities involving fruit, vegetable, and fortified formulations, enabling customers to pursue alternative grains, added nutrition, and plant-forward product positioning.

• Cracker JackCaramel popcorn snack

  During the 2000s, Wyandot manufactured Cracker Jack for Frito-Lay. This was a contract-manufacturing engagement for an established consumer snack brand rather than an indication that Cracker Jack was owned by Wyandot.

• Pringles SelectSpecialty snack chips

  Wyandot manufactured Pringles Select chips during the period when the Pringles brand was owned by Procter & Gamble. The company’s work represented another example of its role as a contract producer for recognized packaged-food brands.

• 2020B Corporation certificationStrategy

  The company pursued a recognized framework for evaluating social and environmental performance alongside commercial activity.

  What changed. Wyandot became certified as a B Corporation in January 2020.

  Aftermath. The certification became part of Wyandot’s public positioning as a responsible food and beverage contract manufacturer.

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• 2004Greater emphasis on contract manufacturingStrategy

  Wyandot was reducing its reliance on private-label production and business from regional potato-chip companies.

  What changed. The company sold its Jeffersonville, Indiana, snack plant and focused more closely on contract manufacturing.

  Aftermath. Wyandot’s business continued to center on manufacturing snacks for branded-food and foodservice customers.

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• 1989Sale of the raw-popcorn operationM&A

  Wyandot had developed from a popcorn-growing and processing business into a broader snack manufacturer. The company chose to separate its raw-popcorn operation from the snack-manufacturing business.

  What changed. Wyandot sold the raw-popcorn operation to Vogel Popcorn.

  Aftermath. Vogel Popcorn later sold the operation to ConAgra Foods. Wyandot continued developing its snack-manufacturing and contract-production activities.

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• 2021Jolie Weber joins Wyandot’s board

  Jolie Weber, then chief executive of Lenny & Larry’s and formerly chief executive of Wise Foods, joined Wyandot’s board.

  Leadership change
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• 2020Wyandot Snacks becomes a certified B Corporation

  Wyandot received B Corporation certification, becoming one of the larger food and beverage contract manufacturers associated with the certification.

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• 2018Wyandot adds three snack-industry veterans to its board

  Wyandot elected James Kairos, Blake Thompson, and Steve Van Tassel to its board, adding experience from Bare Snacks, Sundia, Odwalla, Snyder’s-Lance, Frito-Lay, Weetabix, and Post Cereals.

  Leadership change
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1. Wyandot Snacks