Idaho Potato Packers
Idaho Potato Packers
We are a family owned business just like we were when we began 75 years ago as Idaho Potato Packers Corp. (IPP) of New York. Founded by Harold Abend and originally located in Manhattan at 636 W. 36th Street, IPP gained swift momentum distributing fresh Idaho potatoes. As the volume progressively grew, the New Haven Railroad struck a deal with IPP to build a new warehouse in the Bronx to facilitate the rail car volume. IPP relocated to 999 E. 149th Street near the Oak Point rail yard. Initially IPP was packing & selling potatoes under brands like”Tri-A-Sak”, “IPP Brand”, and “Prize Pack”. After the move to the Bronx, IPP acquired the existing “Nonpareil Brand” from J.M. McCauley and Sons who trademarked the brand for their Idaho potatoes in 1921.
As business bustled in the city, Hal and his wife Eileen had started a young family and Hal was also falling in love with his more frequent time in Idaho. On one of his visits to observe potatoes during the growing season, he purchased a small “packing shed” with a rail siding in Blackfoot, ID. He convinced Eileen to move to Idaho for ONE year, and if she didn’t like it, they would move back. This move established Idaho Potato Packers Corp. of Idaho and planted the Abend family roots in Idaho for good, eventually evolving into Nonpareil Corporation.
Through the 1970s and 1980s, Nonpareil continued its expansion into the processing and dehydrated categories under the leadership of President and CEO Chris Abend, Hals’s son and Howard Phillips, his son-in-law.
The 1990s brought a new family generation, new partnership and a new state-of-the-art fresh packing shed in O’Neill, Nebraska with potato giant RD Offutt.
As markets and customer potato preferences have continued to evolve, so has Nonpareil. Selling the Blackfoot, ID processing facilities to Basic American Foods in 2013.
Under the leadership of Stephen Abend, Chief of Operations since 2014, Nonpareil has returned to what made the brand famous and is solely focused on supplying the very best, highest quality russet potatoes Idaho has to offer. Nonpareil continues to offer “Nonpareil Brand”, “Angus Brand”, “IPP Brand”, and “Magic Brand” products.