Reser's Fine Foods
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food production and distribution |
| Founded | May 14, 1959 |
| Founder | Mildred and Earl Reser |
| Headquarters | Beaverton , United States |
Area served | United States, Canada, Guam, Mexico, Far East |
Key people | Al Reser (former leader), Alexander Reser (deceased grandson) |
| Products | Fresh and refrigerated prepared food items (over 1,000 products) |
Number of employees | 4,800 (2014) |
Reser's Fine Foods, Inc., headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, produces and distributes a portfolio exceeding 1,000 fresh and refrigerated prepared food items throughout all 50 states in the U.S., as well as Canada, Guam, Mexico, and regions of the Far East. Its product range is available via national supermarket chains, independent retailers, and convenience store outlets. The company holds prominent sponsorship of Oregon State University's football venue, known as Reser Stadium. In 2016, Reser's initiated a recall of 19 salad products spanning 29 states due to potential listeria contamination. It is regularly ranked among the top ten privately owned companies in Oregon based on yearly revenue.
History
The origins of Reser's trace back to 1950 when Mildred and Earl Reser began marketing potato salad from their home kitchen in Cornelius, Oregon. Within a year, they secured a supply agreement with Safeway stores located in Oregon. Leadership later passed to Al Reser; his grandson, Alexander Reser, died in 2019.
Following its incorporation on May 14, 1959, Reser's moved operations to a facility in Beaverton. Over the subsequent thirty years, the company expanded to encompass 12 manufacturing plants and employed more than 2,800 individuals. In 2011, Reser's expanded its footprint by acquiring Vaughan Foods, an Oklahoma-based competitor, for $18.3 million and purchasing assets from Orval Kent for $69.2 million.
By 2010, the company’s annual revenue approached $700 million, placing it as Oregon’s sixth-largest private enterprise by revenue. In 2014, it supported nearly 4,800 employees across 16 locations in both the U.S. and Mexico. That same year saw the announcement of a new production facility in Hillsboro, Oregon, complementing its Beaverton headquarters. The Hillsboro plant commenced operations around October 2015.
By 2017, Reser's annual revenue had increased to $1.2 billion, ranking it fifth among Oregon’s private companies and making it the leading non-public food producer in the state—surpassing the Tillamook County Creamery Association.
Additionally, Reser's sponsors NASCAR driver Martin Truex Jr. and his #19 Toyota Camry competing in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Relationship with Oregon State University
In addition to securing naming rights for Reser Stadium, the company has supported significant campus projects such as funding for the Linus Pauling Science Center.