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Mister Bee Potato Chips receives federal certification

Company will be adding new equipment in March

Photo Provided Mary Anne Ketelsen is majority owner and president of West Virginia Potato Chip Co.

PARKERSBURG — West Virginia Potato Chip Co., doing business as Mister Bee Potato Chips in Parkersburg, has received a woman-owned small business certification as it prepares to install new equipment in March.

Mary Anne Ketelsen of Belpre is majority owner and president of West Virginia Potato Chip Co.

The woman-owned business certification from the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council on Jan. 7 allows Mister Bee to pursue government contracts, such as with prisons, universities and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service. Mister Bee chips are now sold at Marietta College and Ohio Valley University.

The certification also means West Virginia’s only maker of potato chips can pursue a market value price for its products.

Ketelsen spent several months filling out paperwork to show Mister Bee met the federal government contract standards for certification. The U.S. Small Business Administration Office in Clarksburg provided assistance on the certification process.

Ketelsen said she appreciates the local stores, such as Piggly Wiggly and Par Mar Stores, that have been loyal customers of Mister Bee.

“We care about the community,” she said.

Mister Bee is preparing to install $1.5 million worth of equipment that will enable the Parkersburg-based company to extend its business reach.

Mister Bee will be making potato chips with the current equipment through March 8, and on March 11 this equipment will be removed.

Plans call for new potato chip-making equipment and a catwalk system to be installed in stages beginning on March 18.

A test run of the new equipment will begin March 29.

Mister Bee will be producing plenty of potato chips in February to stock its inventory for sales while the new equipment is being installed, Ketelsen said.

Chips last for 17 weeks before going out of date, she said.

Mister Bee can now fill eight nine-ounce bags of chips in a minute and go through 50,000 pounds of potatoes in two or two and half days. The new equipment will produce 60 bags of chips a minute and use 50,000 pounds of potatoes in one day.

The new machinery also will provide more consistent seasoning to the potato chips, said Rob Graham, director of sales and mass retail accounts for Mister Bee.

The five new machines will allow Mister Bee to pursue more co-packing agreements, in which Mister Bee makes potato chips for other companies, such as restaurant chains. “The companies use their label and our chips,” said Graham.

With co-packing, Mister Bee can make chips for out-of-state companies. Mister Bee now makes chips for one company in town.

Tuesday was an especially busy day for Mister Bee as it ramped up operations to compensate for being shutdown for several days last week during the boil water advisory in Parkersburg.

Operations lasted for 18 hours on Tuesday to produce chips from 48,000 pounds of potatoes, Graham said.

Ketelsen said she appreciates the work of Mister Bee employees. She considers her 24 employees to be like family.

Ketelsen bought into Mister Bee in 2015 and took over operations and strategic planning in May 2018. The company was founded in 1951.

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