MUSKEGO, WIS. — Jackson’s, a kettled-cooked sweet potato chip manufacturer that claims to only use premium avocado oil, will expand its production facility, which was first opened less than two years ago as the “first-of-its-kind” plant dedicated to making sweet potato kettle chips cooked in premium oils.
James Marino, chief executive officer of Jackson’s, said the expansion will add another 10,000 square feet of manufacturing space as well as two high speed packaging lines and two seasoning systems, which are both said to nearly triple the company’s pounds per hour production capacity and run up to four different products simultaneously. Mr. Marino said the expansion will allow Jackson’s to quadruple its storage space and install a high-density, racking system. The expansion started in late August and is scheduled to be completed by early November.
Jackson’s also will add two high-capacity kettles that are equipped with the “latest technology” to optimize usage of its featured ingredient—avocado oil. Mr. Marino said the new kettles will allow the company to process more than 1 million lbs of sweet potatoes each week and make more than 600,000 bags of kettle-cooked sweet potatoes chips per day.
Jackson’s said its production facility and all its products are free of the nine major allergens, and these products are compatible with all major diets, including vegan, keto, paleo, grain-free, AIP, Whole 30 and kosher. Mr. Marino also said the company only uses heirloom, non-GMO, Beauregard and Covington sweet potatoes purchased directly from North American farmers and kettle cooks them in small batches of avocado oil.
Mr. Marino said the expansion comes after Jackson’s set up a second, full-time production shift and quickly added the overtime required to meet growing consumer demand back in June 2023. Mr. Marino also said the company expects to continue adding jobs to meet the increased consumer response to its products.
“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 Megan Reamer, founder of Jackson’s. “Hearty slices are cooked ‘low and slow’ to maintain the nutritional integrity and bring out the best flavor and texture of our chips and provide a crunchy, delicious snack people can feel better about eating.”
Jackson’s is a family business that was founded in Colorado by Ms. Reamer and her husband Scott, who both began making sweet potato chips in their kitchen to create a snack that their family can enjoy, especially their son Jackson, who has a rare auto-immune disorder that only allows him to eat on a restrictive, low-inflammation diet. The couple appeared on the television show “Shark Tank” in 2017 and received an investment from panelist and entrepreneur Rohan Oza.
Jackson’s has launched several new flavors this year, including spicy jalapeño, Farmhouse Ranch and habanero nacho. The chips can be found at Costco, Sendik’s, Woodman’s, Whole Foods, Festival Foods, Metro Market, Kwik Trip, Outpost Natural Foods, Pick ‘n Save, Fox Bros. Piggy Wiggly and other retailers in addition to restaurants, coast-to-coast vending machines and corporate foodservice. The company’s products are also available on its website and on Amazon.