Herman W. Lay was a salesman for the Sunshine Biscuit Company, but during the Depression he lost his job. In 1932, Lay was hired by Barrett Foods, a snack food firm in Atlanta, Georgia, and began selling peanut butter sandwiches in southern Kentucky and Tennessee. Lay was an aggressive businessman and began acquiring distributorships. When Barrett’s founder died in 1937, Lay bought the company, which included plants in Atlanta and Memphis, Tennessee. Popcorn, manufactured in Nashville, Tennessee, was the first product to have the “Lay’s” brand name. Lay also manufactured potato chips.