Episode 5: From Pepperoni to Potatoes - Inside the Grote Company Story

In this episode of Tater Talk, Mike “The Fry Guy” DeLong is joined by Jack Grote, who leads business development at The Grote Company, to talk about personal growth, professional evolution, and what it really takes to build a food processing equipment business that lasts.

Jack shares the origin story of the Grote Company — from a pepperoni slicer created for a Midwest pizza chain to a global family of brands serving potatoes, protein, bakery, and beyond for more than 50 years. The conversation digs into the company’s guiding philosophy of “leading with love” and agape capitalism — the belief that business can be profitable while still putting people, integrity, and community first.

Mike and Jack explore Jack’s own journey from public accounting to custom equipment sales, why food processing is full of some of the smartest people you’ll ever meet, and how perception challenges continue to affect talent recruitment across the industry. They also dig into Grote’s Lifecycle Initiative, aftermarket strategy, and how proactive service, training, and equipment insight are helping potato processors run more efficiently today.

The discussion spans global growth, innovation in potato equipment, labor challenges, modernization of peelers, specialty products like curly fries, and why efficiency and yield recovery matter more than ever in today’s market. Jack also reflects on the responsibility that comes with having his family name on the business — and how that shapes how he shows up at work and in his community.

It’s an honest, wide-ranging conversation about values, innovation, and the future of food processing — with plenty of potato talk along the way.

Episode 5: Tater Talk
Host: Mike "The Fry Guy" Delong
Provided By: Projex Consultants (www.projexconsultants.com)