Reser’s History A History Built on Family, Fun, Trust and Traditions From making potato salad in a rural farmhouse kitchen to over 4,000 employees across North America, Reser’s Fine Foods is still a family business—guided by the same goals and values that have nurtured our growth for over seventy years. 1950 A Small Business is Born Grandma Mildred begins making potato salad in her kitchen in Cornelius, Oregon, under the brand name of Mrs. Reser’s Salads. 1951 Entering Retail Mildred sells her potato salad to Safeway stores throughout Oregon. 1952 Time to Move Business moves from the farmhouse kitchen to its 1st plant in Cornelius, Oregon—a small 20×50 building. 1960 A New Generation Mildred names her son, Al, as president. Al goes on to lead the company through over 40 years of growth and Mrs. Reser’s Salads become Reser’s Fine Foods. 1961 Going Public In 1961, Al takes the company public to raise money for a new production plant. 1961 Expansion Reser’s expands to the Allen Avenue Facility in Portland, OR (35,000 square feet). 1962 Early Growth Reser’s increases its sales of Direct Store Delivery items and expands its Route Distribution System. 1968 A Need to Innovate Al identifies a major challenge—Reser’s is too heavily dependent on summer sales and needs more innovation. Reser’s acquires Sausage Kitchen and expands their product line to address this challenge. 1973 Product Line Expansion Lines include salads, sausages, tortillas, stuffing, and pudding made at the Allen Avenue facility in Beaverton, OR. 1976 Still Growing Route and distribution network expansions continue throughout the Northwest. 1978 New Facility Jenkins Salad Manufacturing Facility and Distribution Center (55,000 sq. ft.) is completed in Beaverton, OR. 1986 Back to the Family In 1986, Al proudly takes Reser’s back as a privately held family business. 1987 Mark Joins the Team In 1987, Mark Reser joins brothers Marty and Mike as a full-time employee. 1991 New Facility in Midwest Salad Plant opens in Topeka, KS. 1992 Change is Good Reser’s expands its sales structure, focusing on Direct Store Delivery and national account partnerships. 1995 More Innovation and Growth Reser’s opens a Potato Facility in Topeka, Kansas and introduces fall-focused cut potatoes (rounds, hash browns, sliced, diced, etc.) and mashed potatoes. 1996 New Brand and Acquisition Reser’s acquires La Siesta Foods, a Burrito and Tortilla Facility in Topeka, KS. 1998 New Facility in Eastern WA Potato Plant opens in Pasco, WA. 2000 Reason to Celebrate Reser’s celebrates its 50th anniversary with continued innovation and investment of resources into equipment, facilities, employees, and operations. 2000 New Brand and Acquisition Reser’s acquires Stonemill Kitchens. 2001 New Facility in Southeast Salad Facility opens in Halifax, NC. 2004 Continued Acquisitions Reser’s acquires Don Pancho Authentic Mexican Foods in Salem, OR. 2006 Passing the Torch Al Reser steps down from the position as President and passes the title to his son, Mark Reser. Al remains Chairman of the Board. 2006 Facility Openings and Expansions Deer Creek Potato Facility opens in Topeka, KS. 2009 Four Generations The first Reser grandchild begins working at Reser’s, marking the 4th generation of the family business. 2009 Making Room for Growth Corporate Office, Jenkins Facility and R&D expand. 2010 Loss of a Leader April 13, 2010, Al Reser passes away peacefully in his sleep. His generosity, commitment, and values will forever be remembered at Reser’s. 2010 No Small Potatoes Al Reser’s autobiography, No Small Potatoes, is released. The book gives insight to Al’s life from start to finish, and tells the story of how Reser’s started from a family potato salad recipe and grew into one of the largest refrigerated foods companies in the United States. 2011 Expansion and Growth with New Facilities Tortilla Facility opens in Halifax, NC. 2012 A Billion Dollar Milestone With added investments in expanding current facilities, innovative capital equipment to support new categories, and acquisitions of Vaughan Foods Inc., Chef Solutions Inc., and Orval Kent Food Company, LLC, Reser’s reaches $1 billion in sales. 2012 Expansion and Growth Distribution Center opens in Topeka, KS. 2016 Reser’s Racing Reser’s deepens relationship with NASCAR and Joe Gibbs Racing with sponsorship of the No. 20 Toyota Camry driven by Erik Jones. 2016 Expansion and Growth with New Facilities Century Salad Plant opens in Hillsboro, OR. 2018 Expansion and Growth with New Facilities Crossroads Salad Plant opens in Topeka, KS. 2019 Continued Expansion and Growth Fresh Creative Foods Distribution Center opens in Vista, CA, and Baked Sides Facility opens in Topeka, KS. 2020 and Beyond Carrying On Our Traditions Al Reser’s philosophy was always that customers are the reason we are here. The cornerstones of his philosophy rested (never lightly) on customer service, food safety, consistency and value. We continue to live by this policy, providing the highest quality service and food to the people and communities we serve—as a company, and as a family. Careers FAQ / Help Contact Us Reser's Racing Products Deli Salads Deli Sides and Entrees Dips Mexican Foods Cut Potatoes Desserts Brands Reser's Main St Bistro Stonemill Kitchens Don Pancho Baja Cafe Reser's Food Service About Reser's History Community Innovation Kitchen © 2020 Reser's Fine Foods Stay Connected Privacy Policy Terms of Use California Transparency