The only potato chip producer in West Virginia, Parkersburg-based Mister Bee Potato Chips, unveils a new five-ounce chip bag that highlights the New River Gorge region, national park and preserve, and southern West Virginia.

The new chip bag will be debuted at Mister Bee/WV Hive tent on the southern end of the bridge by delegates from Mister Bee, the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority, West Virginia Hive, the New River Gorge Convention and Visitors Bureau, and other organizations.

The new chip bags will soon be available in regional retail locations all over the United States, including southern West Virginia and the Mountain State, according to Mary Anne Ketelsen, president of Mister Bee.

She stated that 876 one-ounce bags of Mister Bee chips, which stand for the bridge’s height in feet above the lovely New River, will be distributed free of charge on Bridge Day. The new chip bags were created by the Charleston-based Asher Agency, which also has offices in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and Washington, D.C.

The idea for the collaboration with Mister Bee and the new chip bag was developed by Judy Moore, executive director of the West Virginia Hive, and Jina Belcher, executive director of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA).

“Thousands of visitors from across the nation and the Mountain State are visiting the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and taking in the sites and experiences in southern West Virginia. NRGRDA, the West Virginia Hive, and the New River Gorge Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) cannot act rapidly enough to respond to tourism, outdoor recreation, community development, and business growth. Judy and I were made aware of Mister Bee’s interest in reaching more customers in our region, so we proposed a new chip bag that would celebrate the state’s only potato chip company as well as the new national park and emergence of the New River Gorge region.”

Ketelsen said the idea resonated and the company is indebted to NRGRDA, West Virginia Hive, CVB, and Bridge Day planners for this opportunity.

“The power of collaboration and dreaming and executing of big ideas are key reasons Mister Bee Potato Chips continues to grow so rapidly,” she said.

Mister Bee Potato Chips was started in 1951 and is one of the most popular snacks in the Mountain State. It was voted “Best West Virginia-Made Food Product” in 2021 by the readers of West Virginia Living magazine. The woman-owned, small business has been fully modernized and has expanded its market research, and has grown from 20 to 80 employees in the past two years.

“This success story is a prime example of how the entrepreneurial ecosystem we have built in southern West Virginia can add value to long-standing businesses as well as new start-ups and early-stage businesses seeking to grow or pivot,” said Moore.