A Half-century of Snacking: What Brought Screen Legend Joan Crawford to a Frito-Lay Plant in Irving in '67?

In June 1967, Plano-based Frito-Lay was two years into its merger with soft drink giant PepsiCo Inc., and the company was expanding. To help keep up with growing demand, parent company PepsiCo opened a then state-of-the-art production plant at Loop 12 and Wildwood Drive in Irving. It was the first Frito-Lay facility built in North Texas, augmenting two smaller Frito Company plants built in the 1940s.On hand to greet visitors 50 years ago at the June 8 opening of the Irving plant was 1940s screen siren Joan Crawford. She's known to 1980s filmgoers as the mom-of-the-year portrayed in the tell-all movie Mommie Dearest.   Continue reading...