Created from two separate companies, Frito-Lay has become a household name and one of the largest snack food manufactures in North America. In 1932, two young entrepreneurs independently started two separate companies that were thousands of miles apart. The Frito Company had its start in Texas, and The H.W. Lay Company was formed in Tennessee. After both companies had success, Lay - which had been a potato chip manufacturer - accepted a franchise agreement to sell Frito products in Lay s territory. In September 1961 (29 years after the founding of both companies), the Frito Company and H.W. Lay Company merged to become Frito-Lay, one of the largest snack selling companies in the United States. Besides Fritos Corn Chips and Lays Potato Chips, the company produces, markets and distributes products to grocers and a wide assortment of venders. Cracker Jack, Funyuns, Grandma s, Cheetos, Sun Chips and Doritos are produced by Frito-Lay. The location in Chicopee, Mass., is a production plant and distribution center for the company s products.