Getting Dakota Style chips could be tricky in the weeks to come.
A weekend fire destroyed the kettle chip plant outside of Clark. Monday, we stopped by the facility to find out what's next for the South Dakota-based company.
One day after the fire began, the kettle chip building at Dakota Style Foods is still smoldering. Authorities believe the fire started around 1:30 on Sunday morning.
Vice President Riley Dandurand says it was a sight he'll never forget.
"When I came here at 2:30 in the morning on Sunday, I felt like I was outside of my body watching something happen that wasn't even real," Dandurand said.
Monday, Dandurand, firefighters and insurance agents scoured the remains of the plant, which Dakota Style named a "total loss" on social media. No one was working in the plant over the weekend, so thankfully no one was hurt.
Eight people work full time in the kettle chip division, and Dandurand says they've all been amazing during this tough time.
"Right now, they're helping bring anything out of the building that's salvageable. Cleaning it all out. We're in the process of looking where we can absorb employees and go though those decisions that we should know throughout the next coming weeks," Dandurand said.
This hometown company has been supported by community members for 30 years. Dandurand says complete strangers have been offering help and even storage space. They're hopeful Dakota Style will continue to provide chips for their fans all over the country, very soon.
"It's been a tough pill to swallow. But our motto is that tough times don't last. Tough people do. We're here to take the first steps, starting today, to get this back on track," Dandurand said.
Dandurand says when they rebuild the chip factory, it will be closer to town near the seeds and kernel factory. Those products are still being produced, business as usual.
A weekend fire destroyed the kettle chip plant outside of Clark. Monday, we stopped by the facility to find out what's next for the South Dakota-based company.
One day after the fire began, the kettle chip building at Dakota Style Foods is still smoldering. Authorities believe the fire started around 1:30 on Sunday morning.
Vice President Riley Dandurand says it was a sight he'll never forget.
"When I came here at 2:30 in the morning on Sunday, I felt like I was outside of my body watching something happen that wasn't even real," Dandurand said.
Monday, Dandurand, firefighters and insurance agents scoured the remains of the plant, which Dakota Style named a "total loss" on social media. No one was working in the plant over the weekend, so thankfully no one was hurt.
Eight people work full time in the kettle chip division, and Dandurand says they've all been amazing during this tough time.
"Right now, they're helping bring anything out of the building that's salvageable. Cleaning it all out. We're in the process of looking where we can absorb employees and go though those decisions that we should know throughout the next coming weeks," Dandurand said.
This hometown company has been supported by community members for 30 years. Dandurand says complete strangers have been offering help and even storage space. They're hopeful Dakota Style will continue to provide chips for their fans all over the country, very soon.
"It's been a tough pill to swallow. But our motto is that tough times don't last. Tough people do. We're here to take the first steps, starting today, to get this back on track," Dandurand said.
Dandurand says when they rebuild the chip factory, it will be closer to town near the seeds and kernel factory. Those products are still being produced, business as usual.