Lay’s is the name of the corporation that established the brand in the United States. It is a brand of potato chips. Another name for it is Frito-Lay with Fritos. PepsiCo has owned Lay’s through Frito-Lay since 1965. “So, crisp you can hear the freshness,” along with “de-Lay-sious!” became the first tagline for the chips’ marketing. Lays was founded by Herman Lay. The first continuous potato processor was introduced by Lay in 1942, which led to the first large-scale production of the product.

Lays Company Quick Overview
| Details | Info |
| Origin Country | United States |
| Founded | 1932 |
| Founder | Herman Lay |
| Headquarters | Brand managed from Purchase, New York, United States |
| MD/CEO | Operated under the leadership of PepsiCo’s executive team (brand doesn’t have a separate CEO) |
| Hubs | Global distribution through Frito-Lay & PepsiCo regional operations |
| Subsidiary | Brand of Frito-Lay, which is a division of PepsiCo |
| Owner | Frito-Lay (a wholly owned subsidiary of PepsiCo) |
| Net Worth (Approx.) | ~$12 billion (brand value estimate) |
| Official Website | https://www.lays.com/ |
Net Worth and Market Cap
The $13 billion convenience foods division of PepsiCo (NYSE, PEP), with its headquarters located in Plano, Texas, is called Frito-Lay North America.
Corporate Leadership
Herman Lay, a salesman, established a snack food business in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1932. He bought Barrett Food Company, a potato manufacturer in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1938 and changed its name to H.W. Lay Lingo & Company. Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of its parent corporation, PepsiCo, is the owner of Lay’s potato chips. Doritos, Cheetos, Fritos, and Tostitos are more Lays brands.
Overview of Services
Founded by Herman Lay in 1932 and formerly known as Hostess in Canada, Lay’s is a popular potato chip brand that has dominated the global market since 1965 and is owned by PepsiCo. In 1944, the company changed its name to “the Lay’s Company” and became the first snack food company to buy TV ads. Every bag of Lay’s potato chips in the US is made using their proprietary chip-perfecting potatoes, which are grown on over 100 farms in the US and some in Canada.
Scale of Operations
North America and several other nations around the rest of the world sell Lay’s potato chips, which come in a variety of flavors. Since the 1965 merger with Pepsi, the company has been a fully owned subsidiary of PepsiCo. Pepsico is its owner. Only a few markets utilize different brand names, such as Walkers in the UK and Ireland, Smith’s in Australia, Chipsy in Egypt and the West Balkans, Tapuchips in Israel, Margarita in Colombia, Sabritas in Mexico, and, briefly, Hostess in Canada. Lay’s is the company’s main brand.