Frito-Lay

Frito-Lay was formed in 1961 through the merger of the Frito Company, founded by Charles Doolin in 1932, and the H.W. Lay Company, founded by Herman W. Lay in 1938, creating America's dominant salty snack business.

The company now generates over $20 billion in annual revenue as a division of PepsiCo, selling Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, and Fritos in more than 200 countries and supplying approximately one-third of all snack chips sold in the US.

Headquartered in Plano, Texas, Frito-Lay North America operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of PepsiCo today.

Frito-Lay History

• 1932
  Charles Doolin buys the recipe for corn chips from a San Antonio street vendor for $100 and begins producing Fritos in his mother's kitchen, selling them from the back of his car.
• 1961
  The Frito Company and H.W. Lay & Company merge to form Frito-Lay Inc., creating the largest snack food company in the United States and one of the largest food brands in the world.
• 1965
  Frito-Lay merges with Pepsi-Cola Company to form PepsiCo, giving the snack division access to Pepsi's bottling network and marketing infrastructure for national and international expansion.
• 1994
  Frito-Lay launches Baked Lays and a range of reduced-fat snacks, responding to growing health-conscious consumer demand and expanding the addressable market beyond traditional full-fat chip buyers.
• 2012
  Frito-Lay opens a 100-acre, zero-net-water manufacturing facility in Casa Grande, Arizona — at the time one of the most environmentally advanced food plants in North America.

FAQs

• When did Frito-Lay come out?

  Frito-Lay was formed in 1961 through the merger of the Frito Company (1932) and H.W. Lay & Company (1938). It became part of PepsiCo in 1965 and remains a wholly owned PepsiCo subsidiary today.
• Who owns Frito-Lay?

  Frito-Lay is owned by PepsiCo Inc., which acquired it through the 1965 merger. PepsiCo is publicly traded on Nasdaq (PEP). Frito-Lay North America is one of PepsiCo's largest and most profitable divisions.
• Is Frito-Lay an American company?

  Yes. Frito-Lay is an American company founded through the 1961 merger of two US businesses. It is headquartered in Plano, Texas. Its parent, PepsiCo, is incorporated in North Carolina and listed on Nasdaq.
• Who made the Frito-Lay logo?

  Frito-Lay's corporate logo has been developed and updated by external brand agencies alongside PepsiCo's internal design team over several decades. The red, blue, and yellow sun-burst wordmark was refined as the company consolidated branding after its PepsiCo acquisition.