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Ballreich History It was 1920 in Tiffin, Ohio when Fred Ballreich and his wife, Ethel opened their homemade potato chip operation in a dirt floor garage, using a copper kettle heated with wood scraps. It was an all day process that produced only 14 pounds of potato chips. Ballreich’s chose to make their potato chips “marcelled”, which means “wavy chip,” taken from the popular ladies wavy hairstyle of the 1920s.
The quality of the Ballreich’s potato chips created a huge demand that couldn’t be met by a husband and wife operation so Fred contacted his brother, Carl Ballreich, who was currently working as a supervisor at the Chevrolet Motor Plant in Flint, Michigan. Carl came back to his hometown to form the joint venture of Ballreich Brother’s Potato Chips. With the combination of Fred’s sales and baking skills along with Carl’s strong work ethic and management skills, the company was well on its way to success!
Carl’s wife Emma and Fred’s wife Ethel played a large role in growing the business as well, working hard peeling, sacking and packing. Both couples lived side by side at 180 & 186 Ohio Ave in Tiffin, Ohio. Eventually, a small factory was built behind their homes. Today, the current factory resides at the same location.
In the 1930’s, local farmers would deliver 100 lb. burlap bags of potatoes to Carl & Emma’s basement for storage. Weekend family outings often included checking with local farmers on their potato crop.
After WWII, Fred’s sons, Doyle and Nevin, along with Carl’s sons, Owen and Don, and Carl's daughter Phyllis's husband Robert Reis, joined the business. At this time, the plant was incorporated into Ballreich Brothers, Inc. and expanded to a much larger facility. Chip production went from 450 lbs. of chips daily in the 1940’s to today’s 2000 lbs. per hour.
Currently, Carl’s grandson, Brian Reis, and his wife, Linda, own and operate Ballreich’s. Their great team of family members and employees lead the operation today.
Ballreich’s products are pre-dominant in Northwest Ohio, with distribution continuously growing beyond the current territories. Ballreich’s products are shipped fresh daily to national and international locations.
Ohio Proud - Made in the USA
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A Little of This and a Little of That
about one of America's Favorite Snack Foods.
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Potato chips were first produced in Saratoga Springs,
New York State as a practical joke. In 1854, Commodore Cornelius
Vanderbilt, while dining at a local restaurant, was disgusted
with a plate of fried potatoes served to him. He demanded that
they be returned to the kitchen with the admonishment that they
were entirely too thick. The chef, George Crum, retaliated by slicing paper
thin strips of potatoes and frying them to a crisp. Vanderbilt
loved them, and they became an instant success. Potato Chips soon became popular everywhere! |
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Potato Chips were typically homemade in kitchens then delivered immediately to stores and restaurants.
Potato Chips shelf life was short-lived, and potatoes had to be handpeeled to make potato chips
up until 1925 when the automatic potato-peeling machine was invented. |
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There are over 3,000 varieties of potatoes. Potatos are typically about 80% water and 20% solids.
There were several superstitions about potatoes. "A peeled potato in the pocket could cure a toothache; a dried potato hung around the neck would cure rhuematism; potato juice rubbed on warts would make them disapear."
Spanish Sailors, however, did find that potatoes helped prevent scurvy, a disease associated with low Vitamic C.
In Europe, the Potato was thought to be evil because they have "grotesque tubers" that grow underground and above,
as well as mysteriously reproducing themselves. Some people believed that potatoes brought promise of fertility because of
their reproduction capabilities. Today, potatoes are a very common food around the globe.
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Norchip, Snowden and Atlanta varieties of potatoes are used
to make Ballreich's chips. These spuds grow in sandy soil, giving
them an excellent taste and texture. "Chipping potatoes
have a lower water and sugar content, making crisper, whiter
chips. These varieties are also rounder, making the shape of
the chip more uniform. |
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If you find a brown chip in your bag, it has not been over-fried
or burned. That particular potato had a slightly higher natural
sugar content. Many people prefer the browner chips. |
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Although an unsealed bag will make potato chips go stale,
the real enemy is sunlight. Exposure to light brings out the
worst in a potato chip, making the flavor go sour. |
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The term "Marcelled" was applied to the Ballreich
potato chip early in the history of the company. During the
early 1920's the "marcelled" look was popular in hair
fashion. Women at that time had their hair cut short and then
set in waves. This wavy-look resembled the corrugated cut of
the Ballreich potato chip. Ballreich's chips have been "marcelled" since
that time, but the term has not yet been recognized by the potato
chip industry. |
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Potato chips can be frozen in their
original bags in order to retain their freshness. |
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