It seems like just yesterday that we crunched our first golden potato chip. It's hard to believe it was actually 25 years ago! Here's the gang back in 1981, the early days of Kettle Foods (then known as N.S. Khalsa Company).

We had already been making roasted nuts and other goodies for a few years before that fateful day in 1982 when after much hard work, trial and error we made the very first bags of Kettle™ brand Chips. That was the beginning of the "natural obsession" with making the best all-natural potato chips with no "stuff."

Our office was nothing to write home about, and our distribution system consisted of a few small distributors that cruised up and down the West Coast carrying crunchy, Kettle™ brand Potato Chips to natural food stores.

By 1987, we had graduated from making chips out of 100lb sacks of potatoes to accepting 50,000lb truckloads! The process has always remained the same: hand cooked in batches.

In 1988 our founder, Cameron Healy, set off with his son on a six-week motorcycle adventure across Europe. It wasn't all fun and games, though, and the "research" trek soon led to the opening of a new Kettle Foods facility in Norwich, United Kingdom which kicked off our British Invasion.

In 1999, we expanded our line to include the Krinkle Cut™ variety, creating a whole new style for fans to love. Kettle™ brand Tortilla Chips and Kettle™ brand Bakes followed to make up the next generation of our ever-growing snack family.

Also in 1999, a couple of Great Blue Herons built a nest in the restored 2-acre wetlands adjacent to our Salem plant. They return every spring to raise their family.

In 2005 we realized that some of the best ideas out there came from our fans and we turned over product development to our loyal "chippoisseurs." The People's Choice campaign was born and we welcomed aboard the first winning flavors, Spicy Thai™ and Cheddar Beer™. The program has continued ever since, bringing new taste adventures to our loyal flavanatics.

Next thing we knew, the year's 2007, our family has grown to more than 700 employees worldwide and we have a new second home in Beloit, Wisconsin. Built using sustainable design, we're making the world's first "green" potato chips!