1962 saw the addition of more pretzel capacity (acquired Dutchess Pretzel of Bluffton, Indiana) and the introduction of corn-based snacks with the acquisition of Jack’s Tasty Snack Corp. of Oneida, NY. The cheese twist product, now called JAX, had and still has a significant market share in the northeast and quickly rivaled the pretzel for importance in the line. So critical was the addition of Jack’s Tasty Snack Corp., the company was renamed Bachman-Jack’s, Inc. between 1962 and 1968.

In 1956, Bachman incorporated as part of Helme Products, a New Jersey manufacturer of pipe and chewing tobacco. This was the beginning of a 20 year expansion program built on the notion of supplying the public with a complete selection of leisure products such as snacks, tobacco and candy.

From 1950 – 53, Bachman acquired two small pretzel plants (Pennsylvania Pretzel of Allentown and Purity Pretzel of Harrisburg) and expanded our current Reading facility to twice its previous size.

 Joseph Sattler Bachman, the German-American founded the company in Reading, Pennsylvania with one small oven and one horse-drawn delivery cart. His product was hand-made and packed.

Art & Ray McGonigle purchased the company, reorganized it into Bachman Bakeries Corporation and build it into one of the largest snack companies in the country. The McGonigles added technological innovation. In 1936, Bachman engineer Jay Curtis invented the first automatic pretzel twisting machine. Today, Savor Street Foods is still producing an authentic twisted pretzel, while competitive pretzels are stamped or extruded. Other McGonigle innovations included the first use of mass merchandising and advertising in the snack business, the first use of cellophane packaging in snacks, the first ready-to-display shipping cases in the industry and the concept of offering a complete line of snack varieties to the consumer.

Bachman’s son, Francis, took over the business and introduced mass production techniques. The new Bachman plant, erected in 1934, was an industry showplace. The depressed economy of that year would not support such expansion, and by the end of 1934, Bachman Bakeries was bankrupt.