Located in the heart of America, Dell E. Johnsen started Mr. Dell Foods in 1969 as a fresh produce brokerage company, specializing in potatoes and onions. In the early 1970’s we expanded our operation to include fresh cut vegetables for the restaurant and institutional trade. Our customer base included many of the national restaurant chains. We also began processing and selling water blanched, fresh-refrigerated, shredded, diced, and sliced hash browns. The reaction to all of our products from customers was very positive and the growth was enormous. On the hash brown side, because of a short shelf life, we were limited to a specific geographical area. Our goal was to develop a freezing/processing method that would produce a frozen, fresh hash brown that would allow our distribution to increase, with our own mandate to develop a process that would hold all of the attributes of fresh hash browns without compromising flavor, texture, and nutrition.
After months of research, trial, and error, Mr. Dell Foods, Inc. created the first IQF All Natural frozen shredded hash brown. We began marketing our new products in 1975. Soon after, customers and consumers began to turn away from the frozen-in-a-patty (full of additives and preservatives) shredded hash browns. We utilized our shredded hash brown in the development of the Mr. Dell O’Brien as we felt the flavor profile was better pronounced in the shredded as opposed to the industry standard diced. We also encompassed the same fresh processing techniques on our Mr. Dell’s Southern Style.
Mr. Dell’s shredded hash browns began to overtake the industry’s standard bearer, diced southern style. We turned the shredded hash brown category into a growth category that represents almost 45% of total hash brown sales nationally. In the heartland of the U.S., which consists of the Plains, Great Lakes, and Western regions, shredded hash browns approach or exceed 50% of total hash brown sales.
Our staff and organization prides itself in our family atmosphere and ‘get it done’ attitude. Westin, Inc. purchased the company on November 1, 2019 with Kurt Johnsen remaining as President. Mr. Johnsen continues to manage the company with the ethics and ideals that were set by Mr. Dell Johnsen himself. Because we are the Hash Brown Professionals, Mr. Dell’s All Natural, One Ingredient Hash Browns have become more than a mere commodity item. Consumers tell us they buy our products because Mr. Dell’s ‘taste like homemade.'
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