And then there was Husman's...

The Husman Potato Products Company was founded by Harry Husman, at the age of 24, in the year 1919.

Harry Husman was employed as a salesman by the Chatfield and Woods Paper Company; he was selling paper bags and packing materials to grocery stores in the Cincinnati Area. In calling on these grocers, he conceived the idea to start making potato chips. On several occasions, while in the grocery stores, he overheard customers asking for potato chips. The grocers would then explain that they were out of chips and their supply should arrive in a few days. He began to inquire about potato chips and why they were always out. The grocers explained that they purchased this item from out of town, and the supply was difficult to control. Harry asked, if he would make potato chips, would they buy from him rather than from someone out of town? The response was very encouraging, so he started the Husman Potato Products Company.

Since its founding, the company has been located in five different plants. The first plant was located at 414 Laurel Street, on the second floor. Harry had a pulley in the window and would tie a rope to a bag of potatoes and the other end to his car bumper, to pull the potatoes to his "Sun Lit Kitchen". The second plant was at 1223 Lincoln Avenue, with 2,500 square feet. The third plant was at 261 Mohawk Street, with 5,000 square feet. The fourth plant was located at 831 East 3rd Street, with 12,000 square feet and the fifth and present plant is located at 1621 Moore Street, with originally 30,000 square feet. Between 1963 and 1970 there were three additions to the Moore Street facility bringing an additional 70,000 square feet.

In 1937, Husman's installed its first automatic potato chip fryer. Prior to this time, all frying was done by hand kettles at a rate of 50 pounds an hour. The first automatic fryer produced 800 pounds an hour. Likewise, in 1949 Husman installed their first semiautomatic packaging machines, thus eliminating hand packing. In 1958 the second automatic fryer was installed for a total production rate of 1,600 pounds an hour with four packaging lines.

The Husman Potato Products Company was purchased by the Frank Herschede Company in 1958. Mr. Mark Herschede was owner and President. His brother Frank was Vice President and General Manager. In 1967 the company name was changed to the present Husman's Snack Foods Company.

In the years that Mr. Herschede owned the business (1958-1990), many improvements were made. We presently have four chip fryers with a capacity of 4,100 pounds an hour. In 1989 Mark became ill and decided to sell the company. In October of 1990, the company was purchased by the Birds Eye Foods Corporation.