NoKota Packers Providing Quality, Integrity, Service For 45 Years

A family business since 1979, NoKota Packers, Inc. Buxton, ND, is celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2025. The third-generation packer ships red and yellow potatoes from the Red River Valley.

“Through changes in ownership and through retirements, our service, work ethic and uncompromising commitment to quality and customer satisfaction have never wavered,” says Carissa Olsen, president and chief executive. “We look back with satisfaction at our decision to promote Red River Valley red potatoes, and we are excited about continuing our involvement in such a dynamic industry.”

During NoKota’s first season in 1979, they stored potatoes in an unfinished facility, represented four local farming operations, shipped 220,000 hundredweight of potatoes, and employed 18 employees.

The first addition for NoKota Packers was in 1993, and there have been three other expansions, in 1994, 1996 and 2011. “Although we have made physical changes to the storage and wash plant, the concept remains the same — our potatoes are stored in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment to maintain quality throughout the season,” says Olsen.

Olsen says NoKota has also made many updates to equipment, including the recent replacement of one of the packaging lines, adding a robotic palletizer to two main lines, and replacing the optical sorter. These updates have increased efficiency and helped fill labor positions.

“Today, we have more than doubled in size, work with nine different growing operations, can ship 600,000-plus hundredweights of potatoes, and employ around 32 employees throughout the year,” says Olsen.

NoKota has a state-of-the-art facility in the Buxton location and does the majority of sales from there. “We have connections to brokers out of other locations in the Red River Valley and Central Minnesota, as well as with other partners in the Fresh Solutions Network throughout the country,” says Olsen. “We have a reputation for superior quality and service, and are honored to have the commitment of premier potato growers in the Red River Valley.”

As the company looks forward, Olsen says the main goal is to continue to provide the quality, integrity and service that they have offered for the past 45 years. “We will also continue to look for ways to improve our processes and efficiencies, including new innovations and technologies.”

NoKota believes the heart of it all is service — not just meeting expectations, but exceeding them, understanding that the success of the business depends on the satisfaction of those it serves. “By embracing these principles, the mission lives on, growing stronger with time, while respecting the roots that have sustained it for nearly half a century,” says Olsen.