Jackson’s to Nearly Triple Production Capacity for its Sweet Potato Kettle Chips
Jackson’s is expanding its manufacturing plant in Muskego less than two years after the facility opened, a reflection of increased demand for its kettle-cooked sweet potato chips made in premium avocado oil. The expansion will add 10,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space, two additional high speed packaging lines and seasoning systems and two new, high-capacity kettles at their location on Commerce Center Parkway. The expansion also includes a high-density racking system and allows the company to quadruple its storage capacity.
“Adding the two new kettles means that we can process more than one million pounds of sweet potatoes each week and make more than 600,000 bags of kettle-cooked sweet potato chips a day,” said Jackson’s CEO James Marino. The new kettles will be equipped with the latest technology, including features that will optimize usage of the company’s featured ingredient – avocado oil, Marino added.
The expansion, which began in August and will be completed in November, will allow the company to nearly triple its pounds per hour production capacity and run up to four different products simultaneously. The company reported that in June 2023, Jackson’s added a second full-time production shift and overtime hours for staff to meet growing customer demand, and it expects to continue adding local jobs.
Jackson’s was founded as a family business by Scott and Megan Reamer of Colorado, who started making sweet potato chips in their kitchen to create a healthy snack for their entire family, especially their son Jackson, who suffered from a rare auto-immune disorder and required a restrictive, low-inflammation diet. The couple appeared on the popular TV show “Shark Tank” in 2017 and earned an investment from panelist and entrepreneur Rohan Oza that helped propel their company forward.
“From the start, we have only used non-GMO sweet potatoes sourced directly from farmers whose products are full of natural flavor, high in fiber and loaded with antioxidants,” said Jackson’s founder Megan Reamer. “Hearty slices are cooked ‘low and slow’ to maintain the nutritional integrity, bring out the best flavor and texture of our chips and provide a crunchy, delicious snack people can feel better about eating.”
Jackson’s products can be found locally at Costco, Sendik’s, Woodman’s, Whole Foods, Metro Market, Kwik Trip, Pick ‘n Save and other retailers. They are also available at jacksonschips.com.