Case Study: Kettle Foods achieves artisan-quality scale and streamlined SPC-driven quality control with Northwest Analytics

Kettle Foods – SPC Enables Artisan Quality Snacks

Kettle Foods, an artisan potato chip maker from Salem, Oregon, needed to scale its batch-made gourmet product into high-volume production and expand into mainstream supermarkets without losing artisan quality. To achieve this, Kettle Foods adopted Statistical Process Control (SPC) and a Manufacturing Analytics approach with help from Northwest Analytics, deploying NWA Quality Monitor and NWA Quality Analyst.

Northwest Analytics implemented SPC across incoming inspection and key process steps (fryers, color sorter, seasoning, packaging), integrating NWA software with IFS and Rockwell systems for role-specific analytics. The solution brought process control enterprise-wide, reduced overfill, cut destructive testing by 50%, lowered rework and scrap by at least 25%, eliminated tons of paperwork, and shortened monthly KPI reporting from one–two days to minutes—enabling proactive, scalable growth while preserving artisan quality.

Kettle Foods