Perham-based KLN Opens Store at Albertville PRemium Outlets

A longstanding Minnesota brand has found a new home in what has become a Minnesota shopping "mecca." 

KLN Family Brands, the makers of such familiar names as Barrel of Fun chips and Vic's popcorn, is a Perham-based Minnesota family that was started by Kenny Nelson and his family.

"He actually started with the dog food business," said Katie Leuer, manager of the , which opened in November near the Children's Place in the .

Wait. Dog food? 

Yep. KLN started in a downtown Perham warehouse with Tuffy's, those familiar, big, yellow bags you could find in most grocery stores. 

While Tuffy's has been improved with things like Nutri-Source and other healthy pet food alternatives, KLN has, of course, expanded into feeding two-legged friends, instead of just four-legged ones. 

It started with the potato chips, as much of the Red River Valley supports potato and beet farmers. 

Then came the sugar-based licorice products, from Kenny's Juicy variety's to the new, popular, Australian-style licorice that has become a national craze. 

"I wish I had a dollar each time someone said 'I never knew you made this!'" Leuer said. "The people we talk to really appreciate the food is Minnesota-made. I think in this economy, people want to support businesses they feel are local or state-based. And that's really helpled KLN grow." 

The Nelson family, with Kenny's grandson, Charlie, in charge today, felt the Albertville Premium Outlets were a great spot to get the brand new exposure, both for people from the Twin Cities metro, but also from Northwest Minnesota. 

"You get a lot of people from Moorhead, Fergus Falls and that area who come down here on a regular basis to do their shopping because it's an easy drive, and there are good deals," Leuer said. 

The site also helps local vendors. Leuer has been able to direct people who sell the KLN dog food brands, such as Hardware Hank in St. Michael. 

"You aren't going to have a lot of people out here who are going to want to pick up a 40-pound bag of dog food," she said. "But, once they learn about the product, they want to know where they can get it. And they can grab a small bag of chips for the trip back home." 

Leuer, herself, has been a resident of the St. Michael-Albertville area for more than 16 years. She got connected with KLN through a neighbor, who works in sales and distributing for the company. 

"I love working with people," she said. "And when they can come in here and get a good snack, they aren't going to leave in a bad mood. Which is great." 

Her sister-in-law, Mary, is a regular face in the store, helping at the front counter. Many local residents know Mary and her husband, Jim, who is a local builder. 

"It's a lot of fun," Mary said. "We've been busy helping people with holiday baskets filled with treats. We're just getting the word out that we're back here, and we have lots of great stuff." 

For store hours and more, visit KLN's site within our Patch Directory.