Potato Chip Company President Takes ‘Extended Leave’ After Arrest

The president and CEO of a popular potato chip company in New Brunswick is on an “extended leave of absence” after charges of domestic violence were filed against him last weekend.

Covered Bridge Potato Chips top boss Ryan Albright was taken into custody in the early hours of Oct. 19 after officers responded to a call of “a family fight” at a home in the small U.S. city of Bangor in Maine, police said.

Officers “separated the persons involved” after arriving on scene, Bangor Police Department Sgt. Jason McAmbley told The Epoch Times.

After interviewing those in the residence, police arrested Albright, a 44-year-old from St. Thomas, N.B., McAmbley said. Albright was taken to Penobscot County Jail and was charged with domestic violence assault in connection with the incident.

McAmbley said the victim suffered minor injuries.

Albright appeared in Bangor District Court on Oct. 21 where a US$750 cash bail was set. He has since been released from custody and is set to appear in court again on Jan. 13, a clerk said.

Leave of Absence

Covered Bridge Potato Chips posted a company statement on Oct. 23 saying Albright has “chosen to take an extended leave of absence in light of recent personal health challenges.”

“The company and its employees would like to acknowledge the tremendous contribution that Mr. Albright has made to the advancement of the company and wish he and his family well with their personal plans,” the firm said in its post.

Brook Dickinson, who has worked in senior leadership roles in the company for more than 15 years, has been appointed as executive vice-president of the company, the statement said.

Covered Bridge Potato Chips is a fourth generation family-owned business operating out of Hartland, N.B. The small town is home to the longest covered bridge in the world. The bridge, which inspired the company name, was designated a National Historic Site in 1977.

The Covered Bridge Potato Chips facility in Waterville, N.B., burned down in a fire on March 1. Albright previously told the media he planned to rebuild and reopen a factory on the same site late next year.