Ed Girrbach was always an entrepreneur, starting his first business when he was in his tweens. After spending many years in the financial industry, Ed moved to Michigan where his sons, both working in foodservice, also happened to be. Ed and his son, Chris, started a successful restaurant in Traverse City, then eventually sold it and were looking to do something else in the food industry when they started Great Lakes Potato Chip Company in 2010.
The company is a salty snack manufacturer, producing seven flavors of kettle-cooked potato chips with their skins on. It also produces two flavors of salsas and two varieties of tortilla chips, which are also uniquely made through kettle cooking. The method of cooking the chips via kettle has been an important selling point for the business.