On the Web:
www.foodcity.com
www.snackalliance.com
BRISTOL, Va. – A familiar brand name will soon return to store shelves and it will mean about 20 new jobs for the area, company officials said Friday.
Snack Alliance is now producing the complete Terry’s Snack food product line exclusively for sale at Food City stores, said Steve Smith, president and chief executive officer of the grocery chain.
"Bristol used to have two first-class snack companies in Moore’s and Terry’s. We wanted to bring the Terry’s brand back to Bristol," Smith said during a Friday news conference. "Terry’s was always known for its freshness and unique flavors."
The family-owned Terry’s firm was established in Bristol in 1932 and produced a variety of snack chips at a city manufacturing plant before ceasing operations in 1999.
The Snack Alliance facility previously produced the Moore’s brand chips. In addition to the Terry’s line, Snack Alliance produces Rice Works brand chips and snack chips for Wal-Mart stores.
If sales of the new products meet expectations, Snack Alliance expects to hire additional workers for its Commonwealth Avenue facility, company Chairman Pat Lindenbach said.
"We believe Terry’s can help us expand and grow," Lindenbach said. "We employ 150 now, and our goal is to add about 20 new jobs. We’re currently producing potato chips on two shifts and we hope to go to three."
Lindenbach said Snack Alliance expects a great response to the new products.
"I can’t emphasize how important it is to have this brand that people grew up with," Lindenbach said.
The announcement is good economic news for the city, Mayor Jim Rector said.
"With all we hear these days about plants closing and plants leaving cities, the alliance these two companies has formed helps assure Snack Alliance will remain here and continue being a steady influence for the city for years to come," Rector said.
Members of the Terry family supported relaunching the brand and shared information about recipes, spices and other "trade secrets," Smith said.
Adding the Terry’s brand is an extension of Food City’s efforts to market and sell locally produced items, Smith said.
"We brought back Kay’s Ice Cream last year. And it was so popular, it’s now 20 percent of our total ice cream market," Smith said. "We believe the Terry’s brand has the potential to do the same thing."
Snack Alliance recently began producing the full Terry’s line of specialty potato chips and cheese puffs at its Commonwealth Avenue facility.
"We plan to begin having them in the stores next week and in all of our stores by Feb. 1," Smith said.
dmcgee@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2532
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement