Harry Virgil Warehime

History of Food Processing Pioneer Harry Warehime of Hanover, Pennsylvania

Early Life and Family

Harry Virgil Warehime was born 30 January 1890, in Carroll County, Maryland, the oldest son of Conrad Stevenson Warehime (27 March 1861 - 21 May 1946) and Mandilla Hoffacker (April 1864 - 22 March 1943) who were married in Lineboro, Carroll County, Maryland, 23 August 1888. Harry was the oldest of five children, having one younger brother and three younger sisters. He married Airie Knipel (February 1892 - 3 December 1979) in 1910 and they had three children Alan Richard Warehime, John William “Bill” Warehime, and Jayne Elizabeth Warehime.

1900 United States Federal Census

Harry Warehime and Hanover Foods

After settling in Hanover Pennsylvania, Harry Warehime supported his family as a farmer. In the early 1920s Warehime set out to expand his farming operation beyond his own farm and founded the Hanover Canning Company in 1924. The newly formed company canned Early June peas, beans, and tomatoes grown by Warehime and other local Hanover farmers during the summer, and they processed sauerkraut in the winter.

Harry Warehime's son, Alan R Warehime, joined the family business in 1934, after he graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in agriculture and economics. The Hanover Canning Company expanded at a steady pace throughout the 1930s and 1940s. The young company experienced strong growth during the 1950s and 1960s, as they expanded their production tremendously, hiring many new employees. In 1952, Hanover Canning added frozen vegetables to its established line of canned vegetables with the acquisition of their Centre Hall, Pennsylvania plant to expand into frozen vegetable manufacturing. After Harry Warehime died in 1956, his son succeeded him as president and chief executive officer.

His Legacy

Harry was a trail blazer in vegetable processing, implementing research and development to deliver the best methods to provide customers with the freshest and most delicious vegetables possible. An example of this was leading his company to the usage of the latest methods of freshness such as using Glass-Packaging and later Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) vegetables in bags.

Harry Warehime died on 24 October 1956, at the age of 66 years old in Hanover, Pennsylvania. The company he founded would become one of the largest and most successful food corporations on the East Coast. His son, Alan Warehime (1912-1990) assumed the role of President in the years after his death. Later, in 1990 Harry's grandson, John Warehime became the third generation to lead Hanover Foods.

Harry V. Warehime