4 / 8
4
FALL 2017
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Stevenson Company, Inc.
Get a taste of what happens where chutes for snacks are made
When Joe Pennington, President of Stevenson Company, Inc., is asked what he does for a living,
he replies, “I make Willy Wonka machines.” He could say he makes miniature children’s slides
sized for lollipops, industrial nut crackers, and the world’s largest sugar bowls, but that would
take more time.
Helping Products Move Gently
Located in Topeka, Stevenson is a sheet metal expert that makes
stainless steel spiral chutes and other key components for manu-
facturers of food or fragile products. The company also provides
industrial plant maintenance and support for manufacturers.
Stevenson was founded in 1952 by Russell Stevenson and remains
at its original location, but the facilities have expanded from a
small tin shop into a much larger operation.
Pennington’s grandfather, Wiggie Pennington, worked for
Russell Stevenson. His father, Jerry Pennington, bought the
company in 1990.
Stevenson first expanded into the food service industry when it
“took a crack” at building an egg-breaking machine. Its work in
spiral chutes began when a customer with a snack food company
was looking to reduce product breakage. Custom-engineered
stainless steel spiral chutes are now one of the company’s top
products, gently delivering fragile food products such as chips
or crackers from the machine into the bag.
National and international food companies are customers of
Stevenson. Pennington says, “If you’ve eaten potato chips in
the United States, they’ve been down a chute made right here.”
President Joe Pennington (left) at the CNC router with Stevenson employee, Chad Frickey