This locally-owned company has a fan base throughout the country, and the world.
Written by: Nancy Christie
Photography by: Rob Wetzler / Wetzler Studios
The success of Gold’N Krisp Potato Chips can be attributed to two simple ingredients: the product and the people. The Massillon-based company has been family-owned since it was founded by Odell Gainey and his wife Betty Lou in 1960, with the second and third generation expanding their leadership roles after Gainey’s passing in 2019.
There have been many advancements over the years, but the family is adamant that the product they produce adheres to the strict guidelines set by their founder: to be the highest quality, best tasting potato chips in the world.
A Chip Off the Old Block
Gainey’s introduction to the chip business came about through his in-laws, who owned a small potato chip company. He worked there after completing his military service, but his entrepreneurial spirit quickly led him to branch out on his own and start Gold’N Krisp.
His daughter Beth grew up in the business – mom Betty Lou actually went into labor with her while bagging chips, recalled granddaughter Mary. Beth and her then husband, Doug Roudebush, officially joined the company in 1984. Even after their divorce, they both continued on in the business. Doug serves as chief operating officer and Beth as vice president.
Next came the third generation – daughters Katie, Mary and Jessie – who were introduced to the chip business at an early age. Doug recalls bringing them to work before school, where they would help assemble cardboard boxes to hold the bags of chips. Now all three sisters hold board positions.
In addition to serving on the board, Doug, Mary and Jessie actively run the day-to-day operations, working together to ensure that the company Gainey started continues to prosper. Mary serves as president and Jessie as office manager and bookkeeper. Even Chloe, Katie’s seven-year-old daughter, has a special place at Gold’N Krisp: assembling boxes, helping Doug pull the pallet jack, and, adds her mother with a laugh, unofficially in charge of taste testing.
Katie started as an employee at Gold’N Krisp in 2007, doing chip deliveries on a route, but in 2014 she followed her grandfather’s lead and spun off on her own, starting Katie Kiefer Distribution. Her company delivers the family’s product in Stark and Summit counties, along with other independent distributors.
Business and Family Balance
While running a family-owned business may sound great in theory, many companies fail as a result of interpersonal conflicts. In the case of Gold’N Krisp, the family works hard to cultivate a culture of respect, open communication, and hard work. Guided by a belief that strong relationships make for a stronger business. They each have their own lanes, so to speak, and try their best not to intrude on each other’s roles and responsibilities. When major decisions have to be made, a vote is taken and the majority rules.
If a dispute arises over what to do or which path to take, Jessie emphasizes “we all try to maintain respect for each other, no matter what. It’s not always easy, but we do a pretty darn good job.”
Tradition and Innovation
While the family has always stayed true to Gainey’s original recipe—kettle-cooking the chips in a proprietary combination of lard and a blend of oils that gives the chips their distinctive, “deliciously different” flavor—the machinery and marketing has evolved over the years.
On the production side, the company recently purchased two pieces of state-of-the-art machinery to improve efficiency. A new bagger was imported from England several years ago, while a new peeler was added this year. Given that the company goes through approximately two million pounds of potatoes each year—roughly 40,000 pounds each week—upgrading to new equipment was a wise, albeit costly, decision.
As for marketing, while strong retail sales have continued to be a consistent source of income, the addition of a website and use of social media has increased the company’s reach. Not that Gainey was in favor of the website when Mary first proposed the idea. He was a strong-willed, often frugal leader who believed in working hard and keeping a low profile.
“I begged him to make a website and said I’d do it in a way that wouldn’t cost the company any money. When he finally agreed, I made a very basic site myself, so people could order chips online,” Mary says. Then, once Gainey saw all the orders start flowing in, he understood the benefits and came around to the idea.
Now the company fulfills online orders daily, shipping them all over the continental U.S. as well as to military personnel overseas, whose desire for a taste of home is satisfied by the unique kettle-cooked chips. The Facebook and Instagram accounts, also managed by Mary, keep loyal fans updated on sales, retailer and restaurant news, and other “chip chat.”
While many companies push to rapidly increase their territory, market share or SKUs, Gold’N Krisp believes in steady, sustainable growth. Which allows them to maintain their focus on quality and relationships. The result is that, over the decades, the distribution area has grown significantly. With that expansion came an increase in production, which has required the addition of three new employees in the past year to help meet demand.
Today their distinctive white bags – with the bright yellow Gold’N Krisp on the signature red flag – can be found in nearly all major retailers in Stark and Summit counties and the surrounding areas.
The Community Connection
Not surprisingly, Gold’N Krisp has a strong presence in the Massillon community, with the company actively supporting local causes and events. As for the longevity of its customer base, Katie points out that her company currently services Gold’N Krisp accounts that were originally started by her grandfather many decades ago.
“We take real pride in that,” she says, “especially since many of them are also family businesses. We’re very grateful for their loyalty.”
That community focus is perhaps why Gold’N Krisp aligned so well with Farmers National Bank. Being community minded is one of the bank’s founding principles, along with good communication and trust – just like Gold’N Krisp. It’s those shared qualities that have led to more than a quarter century of a business relationship, with the company relying on Farmers for all of its financial needs.
“From the beginning we felt a very personal touch with Farmers and the service they provide,” says Beth. “They are always accessible and any time we have a question, Kathy Shultz [Branch Manager, Massillon Downtown] answers it immediately. We feel incredibly valued by them.”
This sense of trust carried over when Beth needed a home mortgage. There was no question where she would go for the financing—Farmers was the only financial institution on her list, the result of her long association with the bank.
Plans For the Future
The facility itself has expanded over the years to its current size of more than 9,000 square feet, and there has been some talk about adding more offices. While they enjoy being together, the lack of physical separation can present a bit of a challenge, Mary admits with a laugh. “Sometimes all three of us are in here together and I’m doing one thing and they’re talking about something else, and we all end up discussing it, even though all three of us don’t need to talk about it!”
Adds Jessie, “If we get frustrated, it’s because of what happened that day, not with each other. Then we go home and within an hour, one of us is calling the other just to talk or make plans to do something together.”
No matter what becomes of the office space, Doug, Mary and Jessie will continue working together closely. United by an unwavering commitment to quality, taste and integrity. The values on which the Gold’N Krisp name has been built over six decades. For this local, family-owned and operated business, the path to continued success is clear. To give their customers the same delicious potato chips their families have loved for generations. Carrying on their beloved grandfather’s legacy every day, and honoring his memory with every bag that still bears his name.
The Best Kept Secret in Massillon
Kathy Shultz, Assistant Vice President at Farmers National Bank, is an unapologetic fan of Gold’N Krisp Potato Chips—of both the product and the people.
“Gold’N Krisp has the best chips ever! I like to say they are the best-kept secret in Massillon,” she says, when asked why she wanted the company featured in this magazine. “And the people are a joy to deal with. They are a bank’s dream customer.”
The company has been with Farmers for well over 25 years – a relationship that began between Odell Gainey and First National Bank of Orrville. When First National Bank merged with Farmers, Gold’N Krisp followed. And while the business has grown substantially in the more than six decades since Gainey hand-peeled and cooked his first batch of potatoes, the family’s work ethic and dedication to product quality has remained the same.
“They always speak very highly of their grandfather, and you can see the amount of respect and love they had for him in how they run the business today,” said Shultz, who has been working with Gold’N Krisp for more than 10 years. “They realize the amount of work and sacrifice that was made generations before, and they do their best to continue to follow that legacy.”
Just as importantly, their commitment to each other has enabled them to weather the challenges that come with running a family-owned business.
“The whole family is part of the business and they all get along,” says Shultz. “They have respect for each other and work well together. They know what needs done and do it, and they check in with each other whenever a decision needs to be made. It’s hard to imagine a family dynamic that is so engaging. It’s just such an awesome company.”
As for the financial side of the operation, Shultz has high praise for their business acumen. “They operate prudently and efficiently, and every move they make is researched and calculated. And any time we ask for anything, they are very responsive and provide us with accurate and well-organized information. In return, we take care of their financial needs, from deposit accounts to a home mortgage for Gainey’s daughter Beth.”
Recalling the times when she would meet with the late founder, who passed away in 2019, Shultz remembered how he would say he felt very lucky to have started this business and turned it into such a success.
“He was always talking about what he was doing to improve his chips, always striving to produce the best product. And the family is the same way. Their goal is to make sure they continue to produce a product their grandfather would be proud of as they keep the business moving into the future.”
