Our Home to close Pennsylvania potato chip plant in Berlin
The closure reflects broader challenges in the snack industry, where companies are grappling with rising costs, shifting consumer preferences, and consolidation pressures.
USA – Our Home, a New Jersey-based snack food company, has announced the permanent closure of its Pennsylvania potato chip plant in Berlin, Somerset County, known locally as the Snyder of Berlin facility, effective by the end of 2026, impacting 96 employees and sending ripples through the tight-knit community.
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice, filed December 3, 2025, with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, details layoffs beginning February 13, 2026, for most workers, with a skeleton crew of six handling final shutdown and cleanup through December 31.
Acquired from Utz Brands in April 2024 for US$18.5 million as part of a broader portfolio including Pop-Secret, Popchips, and Good Health, the plant, operational since 194, represents a sudden end to nearly eight decades of local manufacturing tradition.
Additionally, Our Home acquires ParmCrisps from Hain Celestial to capitalize on the growing demand for healthier snack options.
Local leaders expressed devastation over the economic fallout in Berlin, a borough heavily reliant on the facility’s contributions to taxes, utilities, and employment, with Somerset County Commissioner Brian Fochtman calling it “heartbreaking” for a town defined by “Berlin potato chips.”
State Representative Walker Metzgar and Commissioner Irv Kimmel Jr. are urgently seeking talks with Our Home executives to explore alternatives, such as attracting a new operator through tax incentives, amid fears of broader revenue losses from electricity, sewer, and water services.
Community members, many of whom are multi-generational employees, brace for personal hardships, though severance is offered to those staying until closure, highlighting the plant’s role as a major employer in the Laurel Highlands region.
The decision underscores consolidation pressures in the US snacks industry, where Our Home, focused on natural and better-for-you brands, may be streamlining operations post-acquisition to cut costs amid inflation and shifting consumer preferences toward premium, clean-label products.
Snyder of Berlin produced iconic potato chips under the Our Home umbrella, but no specific reasons for the shutdown were disclosed, despite outreach from officials; the company has not commented publicly.
This mirrors broader trends in food manufacturing, with legacy facilities vulnerable after private equity or corporate buyouts prioritize efficiency over regional footprints.
As Pennsylvania’s food sector navigates supply chain volatility and labor challenges, the closure prompts calls for retraining programs and economic development initiatives to mitigate job losses in rural areas like Somerset County.
Efforts to repurpose the site could sustain agro-industrial activity, aligning with sustainability goals in baking and snacking supply chains across the Americas.
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