Jays Foods

Infobox Company
company_name = Jays Foods, Inc.
company_
company_type = Private company
foundation = 1927
founder = Leonard Japp, Sr
location_city = Chicago, Illinois
location_country = USA
key_people = Joe Shankland [http://www.usitoday.com/article_view.asp?ArticleID=1451 US Industry Today: Jays Foods LLC] (Retrieved November 28, 2007)]
President and CEO
Bill Luegers [http://www.hoovers.com/jays-foods/--ID__60279--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml Hoover's: Jays Foods, Inc. Factsheet] (Retrieved November 29, 2007)]
CFO
industry = Snack food
products = See products section
revenue = US $78.1 Million
num_employees =
parent = Snyder's of Hanover
homepage = [http://www.jaysfoods.com/ Jays Foods] :" Note: Jays Foods, Inc. is not to be confused with [http://www.jaysfoods.co.uk/ Jay's Foods] , a United Kingdom importer of European foodstuffs."

Jays Foods, Inc. is a manufacturer of snack products including potato chips, popcorn and pretzels. Jays Foods was founded in 1927 in Chicago, Illinois and is currently a subsidiary of Snyder's of Hanover. [http://www.potatopro.com/Lists/News/DispForm.aspx?ID=642 Potato Pro: Snyder's of Hanover officially acquires Jays Foods] (Retrieved June 19, 2008)] Operating in several Midwestern states, Jays Foods' potato chips and popcorn maintain significant shares of their respective markets. Jays Foods filed for bankruptcy in October, 2007,Rovito] and permanently closed its Chicago manufacturing plant on December 5 2007.cite web |url=http://www.nbc5.com/news/14766220/detail.html|title= Jays Chip Plant Closing Wednesday|accessdate=2007-12-04 |publisher=Sun-Times News Group]

History

Leonard Japp, Sr. began selling pretzels from a truck in 1927. The business grew to feature a potato chip recipe made by Japp’s wife, Eugenia. After the Wall Street Crash of 1929, Japp found a new business partner and began selling the chips under the brand name “Mrs. Japp’s Potato Chips”. The 1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent anti-Japanese sentiment, however, led to a negative connotation towards the word “Japp” in the United States. The chips were consequently rebranded to “Jays Potato Chips” and the company became Jays Foods, Inc.

Jays Foods remained a family-owned company until 1986, when the company was sold to Borden, Inc. [http://www.jaysfoods.com/employment.asp Jays Foods: Employment] (Retrieved November 28, 2007)] In 1994, Jays Foods was re-acquired by the Japp Family. In 2004, Jays Foods was purchased by Willis Stein & Partners, a Chicago private-equity firm, and, together with another snack company acquired by Willis Stein & Partners, Lincoln Snacks Company, assigned a parent company, Ubiquity Brands.

Jays Foods filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 11, 2007, the second time in four years,Yue] and permanently closed its Chicago manufacturing plant on December 5, 2007. On December 5, 2007 the remaining assets of Jay's were acquired by Snyder's of Hanover who have said they will continue to manufacture and distribute Jays products throughout the Midwest. [cite web |url=http://www.prnewsnow.com/Public_Release/Manufacturing_And_Production/172461.html |title= Snyders of Hanover Working to Keep Jays Products in Chicago |accessdate=2008-04-09 |publisher= PR News Now] Snyder's will continue to operate Jays Chicago warehouse and distribution center and its Jeffersonville, Indiana manufacturing facility. [cite web |url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=27314 |title= Jays to close South Side plant throwing 220 out of work |accessdate=2008-01-21 |publisher= Chicago Business]

Operations

Jays Foods manufactures, markets and distributes its products in the seven state area of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri. Jays Foods has distribution centers in fifteen major cities in the seven state marketing area. Jays has 310 company-owned routes, and 200 routes owned by independent distributors. The company has a total of 943 employees.

Market Share

Jays Foods does not market its products nationally. Despite competition from national brands such as Frito-Lay, which has a 67 percent market share, [ [http://www.answers.com/topic/potato-chips-corn-chips-and-similar-snacks Answers.com: Potato chips, corn chips, and similar snacks] (Retrieved November 28, 2007)] Jays Foods has 23 percent share of the potato chip market in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, Minnesota and Iowa and over 60 percent market share in the "ready-to-eat" popcorn category. Jays foods has been considering the possibility of competing as a national brand and has conducted marketing research and held focus groups in New Jersey and California.

Products

Hot Stuff (other snacks)
* Hot Stuff Crunchy Cheezles

Jays (potato chips)
* Jays Crispy Ridged Potato Chips - Original; Ranch Herb; Onion & Garlic; Barbecue
* Jays E-Z Dippin's (discontinued) - Mini Pretzels & Mustard; Tortilla Chips & Nacho Cheese Dip; Tortilla Chips & Salsa
* Jays Potato Chips - Original; Barbecue; Cheese; Salt 'n Sour; Sour 'n Dill

Krunchers! (kettle and corn chips)
* Krunchers! Potato Chips - Original; Reduced Fat; Cheddar & Sour Cream; Jalapeño; Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper; Mesquite Bar-B-Que; Hawaiian Sweet Onion; Hot Buffalo Wing; Kosher Dill
* Krunchers! Sweet Baby Jays (discontinued) - Chips made from sweet potatoes; introduced summer 2006
* Krunchers! Corn chips - Spicy Four Cheese; Guacamole; Jalapeño

O-Ke-Doke (popcorn)
* O-Ke-Doke Balls of Fire
* O-Ke-Doke Hot Cheese Flavored Popcorn
* O-Ke-Doke Popcorn Cheese

ee also

*Frito-Lay
*Old Dutch Foods

Notes

Bibliography

*Citation | last = Rovito
first = Rich
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = Jays Foods may shut down plant in Butler
newspaper = The Business Journal of Milwaukee
pages =
year = 2007
date = October 26, 2007
url =
*Citation | last = Yerak
first = Becky
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = Possible buyers hanker for Jays
newspaper = Chicago Tribune
pages =
year = 2007
date = October 2, 2007
url =
*Citation | last = Yue
first = Lorene
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = Jays Foods may lay off more than 500
newspaper = Chicago Business News
pages =
year = 2007
date = November 9, 2007
url =