Sterzing’s Potato Chips is a family owned and operated wholesale potato chip manufacturing company based in Burlington, Iowa. Apart from potato chips, it also manufactures and distributes dips in a variety of flavors. The company logo tees, pens, magnets and chip clips are also available to purchase.
History
Barney Sterzing, the founder of Sterzing’s Potato Chips, started his business as a candy and confectionery manufacturer. In the mid 1930s, he decided to expand his candy business by adding potato chips to the product line. Thus, Sterling’s Potato Chips was born. He made potato chips by slicing potatoes and then slow-cooking them. He did this in small batches to produce good quality potato chips. Once cooked, they were sprinkled with salt. He tried to keep his recipe simple, and avoided artificial colors and flavors. The ingredients of his chips are oil, potato and salt, and the company still follows this traditional recipe.
Within a few years, the potato chips manufactured by Sterzing became very popular in the local area. During World War II, his candy manufacturing business slowed down as the availability of raw materials decreased, so he shifted his focus more toward his potato manufacturing business. Sterzing believed that it was the quality of his chips that made them so famous. So, he decided to employ a quality control engineer. Thus, Renae Roberts was selected to the position to ensure the superior quality of each and every chip made. She introduced a new system to separate uneven chips from even ones. The strict quality control that she put in place is still maintained by the company.
Warren ‘Dutch’ Duttweiler, a cousin of Sterzing’s, bought the company in 1959. Sterzing’s Potato Chips began expanding its distribution network to all parts of the U.S. Later, it began its international trade during the Vietnam War. It supplied potato chips to the service men and women who came from Iowa and were stationed in Vietnam and craved the chips they grew up with.
After that, it expanded its business to Egypt, Europe and Middle East. It also introduced an online shopping facility for its customers around the world. In 1984, the company introduced tortilla chips. The next few years saw the introduction of new products such as salsas and dips. In 2009, it introduced its trans-fat free range of products.
Today, the company also supplies products to servicemen in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now, the company is owned and operated by the 3rd generation of the Sterzing family and they still follow the original, simple recipe.
Stats
Company headquarters: 1819 Charles Street, Burlington, IA, USA
Ownership: Private
Number of manufacturing plants: 1
Annual revenue: $10 to 20 million
Number of employees: 20 to 49
Geography: Worldwide
Demography: Young, Natural and Organic
Important Links
Corporate Home Page
Products
Online Shopping
Contact Information
Loved your chips. Live in Northwest Iowa, Orange City. Any where close we can purchase these? Please advise.
Thanks!
Jim Van Gorp
I would like to order your chips. How do I go about doing that? My daughter brings them back when she goes to visit. They are the best I have ever tasted. Keep using the old recipe. Thank you.
I live in Orlando, Florida and believe me, there isn’t a good potatoe chip sold here. I have ordered your chips before and loved every bite. I developed Rheumatoid arthritis and needed to lose some weight. Well, I lost a few pounds and I’m rewarding myself to Sterzing’s potatoe chips. I was reading John Messer’s comment about receiving his chips he ordered on line. He was upset that they were broken into small pieces. Hopefully, there is a way the mail service will take better care of our precious Sterzings chips. Thank you for continuing your company and service for the very best potatoe chips in the great U.S. Barbara Starr in Orlando, Florida. 02/27/2012
We used to have a couple of places in town that have you big bags of your. Chips gateway and Wal-Mart now it’s like they just don’t get them plus the prices very from 3.14 to 4.00 dollars big bag also do you have any coupons
We lived in southeast iowa in our younger years but we now live in memphis tn. We love sterzings chips and order them on line. We just ordered two 16oz bags and we just got them but do to shipping or poor packageing they were all broken into small pieces. As much as we love your chips we will not order them on line again. Thank you, john messer
I was born in Burlington, IA, the home of Sterzing’s potato chips. They are better than any brand I have tasted since and I would really like to see them sold where I live now, which is Kenosha, WI.
are you available in northern Illinois???
Do you sell in any of the towns like Mt. Pleasant or such? Appreciate an answer as soon as possble as going to be goi
ng that way thursday
When I come home there are two things I want, Sterzings and El Taco Casa. You always make me think of home with a fresh Sterzings Potato Chip to start our family game nights and when I think of a summer picnic your potato chips are the first thing I think of.
Your chips are by far he best going. Whenever I go back to Iowa I bring some home to AZ. and dole them out a little at a time. It must be the "Simple recipe " that keeps us coming back for more. keep up the good work, you have a great product.