Ore-Ida
{{Short description|American frozen food brand}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Ore-Ida
| logo = Ore ida logo.png
| logo_size = 150
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| logo_padding =
| image = Grigg Tater Tots Truck.jpg
| image_size = 220
| image_alt =
| image_caption = A trailer advertising the Ore-Ida brand, showing the outlines of Oregon and Idaho, circa 1961
| type = Subsidiary
| parent = Kraft Heinz
| founded = {{start date and age|1952}}
| founders = Ross Erin Butler Sr.{{break}}Francis Nephi Grigg{{break}}Golden GriggRoss Erin Butler Sr. {{cite news|title= Mr. Potato Head – A Dirt-Poor Farmer Turned Spud Scraps into Gold|publisher=CNN Money|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2003/11/01/358297/index.htm | author = Lukas, Paul | date= November 1, 2003 | access-date = May 1, 2012}}{{cite web|title=The Francis Nephi ("Neef") Grigg Papers|publisher=University of Utah Library Special Collections|url=http://content.lib.utah.edu/u?%2FUU_EAD%2C973|access-date=2012-07-29|archive-date=2020-01-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200126133506/http://content.lib.utah.edu/u?%2FUU_EAD%2C973|url-status=dead}}
| location = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| industry = Retail, food
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.kraftheinz.com/ore-ida/|Ore-Ida}}|
}}
Ore-Ida ({{IPAc-en|ɔːr|ˈ|aɪ|d|ə}}; {{Respell|orr|EYE|də}}) is a brand of potato-based frozen foods owned by Kraft Heinz's, H.J. Heinz Company Brands LLC. based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Ore-Ida's primary production facility is located in Ontario, Oregon, near the Idaho border where the company was originally founded in 1949.[http://www.oreida.com/funzone/funfacts.aspx "Ore-Ida Fun Zone{{spaced ndash}} Fun Facts"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060622162414/http://www.oreida.com/funzone/funfacts.aspx|date=2006-06-22}}. Ore-Ida.{{Cite web |title=How 2 Oregon brothers' efforts to mitigate food waste created the beloved tater tot |url=https://www.opb.org/article/2023/02/02/tater-tots-created-oregon-potato-scraps-ore-ida/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=opb |language=en}}
History
File:Nephi Grigg Tater Tots Inventor Oreida Founder.jpg
In 1934, entrepreneurs Francis Nephi Grigg and Golden Grigg began growing sweet corn in eastern Oregon. Their first company, "Grigg Brothers", became the largest distributor of sweet corn in the United States. In 1949, with financial backing from their brother-in-law Otis Williams, the brothers rented a frozen food plant located in Ontario and converted it into a potato-processing facility. The three purchased the facility around 1952 after the plant went into foreclosure.{{cite web|title=A Brief History of Grigg Brothers|url=http://www.griggbros.com/attachments/article/267/GriggBriefHistory.pdf|publisher=Grigg Brothers|access-date=10 February 2016|archive-date=25 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131125034818/http://www.griggbros.com/attachments/article/267/GriggBriefHistory.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{cite book |author=Dick Grigg |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2myR_qjAl6kC&pg=PA286 |title=Family History and Temples Including Grigg and Related Family Genealogies |date=December 2011 |publisher=Xlibris Corporation |isbn=978-1-4653-8287-0 |pages=286– |access-date=9 February 2016}} The company was officially founded that year as the "Oregon Frozen Foods Company".{{cite web|title=Company Overview of Ore-Ida Foods, Inc.|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=13402807|publisher=Bloomberg News|access-date=10 February 2016}}
The company initially produced and sold frozen corn and French fries.{{Cite web |last=McKinney |first=Kelsey |date=2017-08-28 |title=The Tater Tot Is American Ingenuity at Its Finest |url=https://www.eater.com/2017/8/28/16159710/tater-tots-ore-ida-history |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=Eater |language=en}} In 1953, Nephi, Golden, Otis, and Ross developed Tater Tots, bite-sized "logs" formed from seasoned slivers of potatoes, which were leftovers from French fry production. The name “tater tots” can be attributed to Clora Lay Orton after the brothers created a contest with their friends and employees to create a name for the potato “logs".{{Cite web |title=The history of tater Tots - Upworthy |url=https://www.upworthy.com/tater-tots-history |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=www.upworthy.com |language=en}} Tater Tots are today considered the brand's most well known product.{{cite news|last1=Elliott|first1=Stuart|title=Ore-Ida Campaign Focuses on Authenticity of Tater Tots|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/25/business/media/ore-ida-campaign-focuses-on-authenticity-of-tater-tots.html|access-date=10 February 2016|work=The New York Times|date=August 25, 2014}}
In 1960, the company built a second plant in Burley, Idaho. The company's name is a syllabic abbreviation of the first few letters of Oregon and Idaho and the original logo consisted of the outlines of Oregon and Idaho with Ore-Ida superimposed in italicized letters.
After going public in 1961,{{cite news|title=S.E.C. Registrations|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1961/06/30/118915363.pdf|access-date=10 February 2016|work=The New York Times|date=June 30, 1961}} the Ore-Ida brand was acquired by the H. J. Heinz Company in 1965.{{cite news|title=Heinz is Planning Food Acquisition: Directors Approve Plan for Purchase of Ore-Ida|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1965/05/21/97202734.pdf|access-date=10 February 2016|work=The New York Times|date=May 21, 1965}} The Heinz company coined Ore-Ida's long-time advertising slogan: “When it says Ore-Ida, it’s All Righta.”{{cite book|author=Evan Morris|title=From Altoids to Zima: The Surprising Stories Behind 125 Famous Brand Names|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9TeOf3BcOJIC&pg=PA60|date=9 November 2004|publisher=Simon & Schuster|isbn=978-0-7432-7647-4|pages=60–61|access-date=9 February 2016}}
McCain Foods purchased Ore-Ida's foodservice division in 1997, acquiring five of the company's plants, including the Burley location.{{cite news|author1=McCain Foods|author-link=McCain Foods|title=McCain Foods Completes Ore-Ida Food Service Acquisition: New Company Has Strategic Advantages|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mccain-foods-completes-ore-ida-food-service-acquisition-76111647.html|access-date=10 February 2016|work=PR Newswire|date=June 30, 1997|location=Chicago}} Ore-Ida's division headquarters were located in Boise until 1999, when a new frozen foods division was created based at Heinz's corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.{{cite web|title=H.J. HEINZ COMPANY ANNUAL REPORT 2000|url=http://www.heinz.com/data/pdf/2000HeinzAR.pdf|publisher=Heinz|access-date=10 February 2016|date=2000|archive-date=15 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110215165421/http://www.heinz.com/data/pdf/2000HeinzAR.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|last1=Sabatini|title=Heinz moves Ore-Ida from Idaho to Pittsburgh|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19981111&id=z4wNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6323,192360&hl=en|access-date=10 February 2016|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=November 11, 1998}}
In 2022, Boise-based J.R. Simplot Company acquired the Ontario facility; Kraft Heinz retains ownership of the Ore-Ida brand, which is now produced by Simplot under a long-term agreement.{{cite web |url=https://www.simplot.com/company/news/simplot-acquires-eastern-oregon-processing-facility |publisher=Simplot |title=Simplot acquires eastern Oregon processing facility |date=February 24, 2022 |accessdate=May 4, 2025}}{{cite news |url=https://capitalpress.com/2022/02/24/simplot-to-become-ore-idas-exclusive-manufacturer-supplier/ |work=Capital Press |title=Simplot to become Ore-Ida’s exclusive manufacturer, supplier |date=February 24, 2022 |accessdate=May 4, 2025}}{{cite news |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220223005366/en/Kraft-Heinz-and-the-J.R.-Simplot-Company-Announce-an-Exclusive-Multi-Year-Strategic-Supply-Agreement-for-Ore-Ida |work=Business Wire |title=Kraft Heinz and the J.R. Simplot Company announce an exclusive, multi-year strategic supply agreement for Ore-Ida |date=February 23, 2022 |accessdate=May 4, 2025}}
Sports sponsorship
- Ore-Ida Women's Challenge road cycling race in the 1980s and 1990s.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=a5UrAAAAIBAJ&pg=6346%2C793599 |newspaper=Idahonian |location=(Moscow) |agency=Associated Press |title=Thompson wins Ore-Ida race |date=July 9, 1990 |page=3B}}{{Cite web |title=The toughest women's race in history: Ore Ida |url=https://www.rouleur.cc/blogs/the-rouleur-journal/true-grit-ore-ida |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=Rouleur |language=en}}
- In 2005 and 2006, Ore-Ida sponsored Brian Vickers' #57 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series.{{cite web|title=Vickers to Drive No. 57 Ore-Ida Chevy in Busch Series|url=http://www.hendrickmotorsports.com/news/articles/prev/1107907200|website=HendrickMotorsports.com|publisher=Hendrick Motorsports|access-date=9 June 2015|location=Concord, North Carolina|date=February 8, 2005}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hendrickmotorsports.com/news/article/2005/10/26/Ore-Ida-Racing|title=Ore-Ida Racing|website=HendrickMotorsports.com|publisher=Hendrick Motorsports|access-date=17 December 2014|date=October 26, 2005}} In 2007, Ore-Ida/Heinz and Delimex foods (another Heinz brand) sponsored the #21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford for selected NASCAR NEXTEL Cup events, driven by Jon Wood and Bill Elliott.{{cite news|last1=Long|first1=Dustin|title=Two will share ride for Wood Brothers|url=http://www.greensboro.com/sports_professional/auto_racing/two-will-share-ride-for-wood-brothers/article_b243ce08-8c97-503a-8529-d498d69d1b07.html|access-date=9 February 2016|work=News & Record|date=October 4, 2006}}{{cite web|author1=Ford Racing|author-link=Ford Racing|title=Charlotte II: Elliott - Ford Friday interview|url=https://us.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/charlotte-ii-elliott-ford-friday-interview/2243185/|publisher=motorsport.com|access-date=April 28, 2024|date=October 13, 2007}}{{cite press release|title=Little Debbie Ford Show car stopping by Q-C|url=http://www.qconline.com/sports/little-debbie-ford-show-car-stopping-by-q-c/article_3b80826f-0c0d-5aaf-a628-271711f2e34f.html|access-date=9 February 2016|work=The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus|date=June 11, 2007}}
- In 2025, Ore-Ida entered into an NIL deal with BYU Cougars men’s basketball star Richie Saunders, whose great-grandfather, Francis Nephi Grigg, co-founded the company. Ore-Ida would refer to itself as “Ore-Richie” for the duration of Saunders’ and BYU’s stay in the 2025 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-27 |title='Richie's Tater Shots': BYU's Saunders signs NIL deal with company founded by great-grandfather |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/44422268/richie-saunders-byu-nil-deal-tater-tots-great-grandfather |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Russo |first=Ralph D. |date=2025-03-27 |title=BYU’s Richie Saunders, great-grandson of Ore-Ida founder, inks March Madness tater tots deal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6233243/2025/03/26/byu-richie-saunders-ore-ida-tater-tots/ |access-date=2025-03-27 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
See also
References
{{Reflist|2}}