Kitty Clover Potato Chips
Gone. Borden closed the Omaha plant in October 1987, ending 185 jobs. A grocery cooperative later used the Kitty Clover name for a store-brand chip from 2003, but that trademark was cancelled for non-use in 2024.
Last verified Nov 4, 2026
Omaha's own chip, started in 1932 by an 18-year-old who had just lost his telephone company job, with his parents as partners and his father's car for deliveries. It went through three corporate owners before the last one closed the plant.
Filed under: Snacks & Chips · the ’70s & earlier
📅 Timeline
- 1932Harold Lippold, 18, started Kitty Clover with his parents, Fred and Lou, using his father's car for deliveries.
- 1952The company moved into a new automated, air-conditioned plant at 24th and Martha Streets.
- 1959The Lippolds sold Kitty Clover to Fairmont Foods and retired.
- 1978The Kitty Clover name and logo were sold to Culbro.
- 1987Borden, the last owner, closed the Omaha plant in October, ending 185 jobs.
- 2003Associated Wholesale Grocers began using the Kitty Clover name on store-brand chips; the trademark was cancelled in 2024.
❓ People also ask
Who founded Kitty Clover?
Harold Lippold, who started selling chips in Omaha at 18 in 1932, with his parents as partners.
Where was the Kitty Clover factory?
At 24th and Martha Streets in Omaha, from 1952. The building now houses artists' studios called Clover24.
Can you still buy Kitty Clover chips?
No. A store-brand version appeared from 2003, but its trademark was cancelled for non-use in 2024.
🧾 Sources
- Douglas County Historical Society, Omaha's Kitty Clover Potato Chip Company (2020)
- Omaha Daily Record, Former Kitty Clover potato chip plant (Nebraska Examiner) (2025)
- USPTO, KITTY CLOVER trademark status (serial 76300304)