Made in Pa.: Herr's marks nearly 80 years as Pennsylvania snack maker with global reach

NOTTINGHAM, Pa. (WPVI) -- Herr's has been serving up chips, pretzels and other snacks for more than seven decades, growing from a small Pennsylvania operation into a global brand.

The Chester County-based company produces more than 300 million bags of snacks each year, according to CEO Troy Gunden. He said the process behind the crunch is straightforward.

"We use high-end branded salt, and then we use the best oil that we can use. And you add those together with a group of folks that actually they really care about the product that they produce and it makes a great snack," Gunden said.

The company's equipment runs around the clock, moving potatoes from a conveyor belt to a dirt eliminator before washing, slicing, frying and seasoning them.

Herr's roots date back to 1946, when Gunden's grandfather, James Herr, bought a small potato chip business called Vernice Potato Chips.

"He bought a business from another potato chip company. It was a small company called Vernice Potato Chips in 1946, and it had two kettles and an old root truck. And he started with those humble beginnings with that idea. But he still loved the idea of working with people and that's one of the foundations for our company," Gunden said.

As demand grew, Herr's expanded its product line. Flavored chips were introduced in 1958, followed by popcorn, pretzels, tortilla chips and onion rings in later decades. Today, the company's top seller is sour cream and onion chips.

"Our sour cream and onion chips. We absolutely love them. We make what we call the best sour cream and onion chip out there," Gunden said.

Herr's snacks are now sold in more than 37 countries, but the company remains rooted in Pennsylvania.

"It really is part of who we are. We're from Pennsylvania. We've always made our snacks here... we have people that have been here for 40 years. People have a lot of pride in the products that they produce," Gunden said.