In the same way that microbreweries surfaced to challenge the giants of the beer industry, Joe Guenthner won't rule out the rise of small potato chip makers. Guenthner will offer his predictions on trends in the chip industry as a speaker during Potato Expo 2012, scheduled for Jan. 4-6 at Loews Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando, Fla.
Garn Theobald, chairman of the board of R&G, represents a dozen growers with 4,900 combined spud acres. Theobald said R&G once delivered to 13 chip companies. They now deliver to just two companies. "But our volume has increased," Theobald said.
Idaho's other scheduled speaker at the expo, U of I agricultural economics professor Chris McIntosh, will discuss research on Potato virus Y.
Expo organizers expect a record crowd of about 1,600 people, as well as a record number of vendor booths.
