90 Years of Classic Snacks for America's Families
Whether you look to Wise® for new flavors or for the
classic crunch, it's been 90 years since we started making real
snacks for friends and families to enjoy together. Continuing to
use the highest quality ingredients, we're still headquartered in
Berwick, PA - and are proud members of the community that helped
lay the foundation for it all.
It all started in 1921 when Earl Wise, Sr. was a young grocer
with too many potatoes. Being a frugal businessman, he decided to
use the extra potatoes to make potato chips. He did all the work by
hand and sold the chips in brown paper bags from his store. Earl's
chips enjoyed instant popularity and rapid growth in the Eastern
United States.
Only four years after he made his first potato chip, he opened
his first production plant. This 32' x 75' concrete building
continued to expand over the next two decades until 1944. The
production plant was destroyed in a fire that brought production to
a halt. After eight months, a new state-of-the-art production
facility was built and expanded upon for the remainder of the
decade.
During the 1950s, as consumers wanted more and more of the chips
with the Wise name on them - and Peppy the Owl - we experienced
tremendous growth and market expansion. To accommodate this growth,
we started inventing new snacks. And in 1969, to reflect the wide
array of snacks offered, Wise Potato Chip Co. changed its name to
Wise Foods. From small batches in his mother's kitchen to a current
state-of-the-art facility, one thing has never changed: Earl Wise,
Sr., and the company that bears his name, makes terrific, all
natural chips.
When Earl Wise, Sr. started making chips, he created a legacy.
And since then, Wise Foods has been a leader in the snack food
industry. That's why the Snack Food Association inducted Earl Wise
Sr. into their coveted Circle of Honor on March 22, 2011 - an honor
that is only matched by the loyalty of Wise fans.
Watch the induction video