Located in Wyoming County, NY, TJ Marquart & Sons processes more than 45 million pounds of potatoes peryear, shipping to companies like Wise, Herr’s and Utz. Every year they are improving product and processes to grow some of the best potatoes that make the freshest chips around. What makes their potatoes so great? I had the opportunity to tour their facility and here is what I learned:
The right location:
- New York State potatoes are wonderful for chips; due to our latitude and longitude the potatoes have a higher gravity so you will actually notice a crunchier potato.
- Their close proximity to both processers and end consumers results in a fresher chip.
- According to Marquart, their freight cost is significantly lower year round; although Wyoming County is a rural community, major northeast markets are easily accessible within one day’s drive.
The right people:
- Food processers and packagers need the right people to be able to fix and operate equipment and Marquart finds it easy to locate that talent in Wyoming County.
- Excellent, dedicated, hardworking people that are willing to learn are available -- and that’s important in their business because it’s always changing. Their workforce allows them to operate faster and make changes faster; that helps them to take advantage of niche opportunities.
Marquart’s location in Western New York is central to their success. It’s also the reason other food processes, packagers and service providers like Trophy Foods (Redland Foods), Pride Pak, Nutrablend, and Magic White are choosing Buffalo Niagara for their businesses.
Contact Invest Buffalo Niagara if you are seeking to grow your business or learn about agribusiness advantages in our region. We’ll help you find the right location in the eight counties of Western New York.
And for the record, my favorite chip is Sour Cream & Onion. What’s yours?
