Over 100 Years of Experience Behind Us
A Civil War era photo of the original Bissell Sugar Shack
Nate regarding the above photo
“I found this in a box of old photos on a postcard post-marked “1911.” If you look closely, you can see this postcard was a photo of a photo. You can also see buckets hanging on the trees in the background.”
What is a “Sugar Shack?”
“Sugar shacks are exactly what they sound like: a shack that keeps the rain and weather off of your back while you boil sap… rustic but functional.. exactly what you would expect from farmers.”
The original Bissell Apple Orchard. George Bissell (Nate’s great-grandfather) on the left, Carl George Bissell (Nate’s grandfather) on the right.
1800s
Peter Bissell and his family relocated to Ohio from Connecticut and helped settle the Western Reserve in
the 1830's.
The original family farm included dairy, an apple orchard, and surprisingly dahlias; the syrup was purely for family and friends.
1900s
The farm was eventually put out of business by the construction of Route 90 circa 1956. Carl Bissell (on the right) carried on the orchard at a new farm further south on Route 45, still in the Austinburg area.
David, Carl’s son, grew up and married Debby the girl next door, and they settled in Rock Creek. They maintained a small farm where, of course, they also kept a sugar shack.
Nate’s father Dave stoking the fire, evaporating sap into syrup.
2000s
Nate Bissell did not begin his career as a farmer.
Although his father taught him about maple syrup growing up, he first worked in chemical engineering.
After ten years however, he rediscovered his roots of six generations of maple farming, and asked his father the question:
“Why did you never tell me about this?”
His father responded simply: “You never asked.”
Evicted from the Family Farm
Nate got to work creating his maple business. After that the Bissell’s family farm grew until one morning, Nate’s mother stepped onto the porch in her bathrobe and was greeted with an entire busload of maple-lovers ready to tour the grounds. Debby gracefully told her son that his operation had grown too big for their farm, and it was time to go.
Nate moved to a separate business location on Higley Road in Rock Creek, where he established his new brand:
Rock Creek Sugarworks
“We weren’t just making syrup for our family anymore, having fun in the backyard. It shifted from serious hobby to a business.”
— Nate Bissell
Sugar Chalet
He also created two specialty syrups: Bourbon and Rum Barrel Aged.
Nate’s Aunt Linda is credited with saying, “This isn’t a sugarhouse, it is a sugar chalet!” The name stuck.
Nate also used these brand names because he believed the family name (shared by a popular vacuum cleaner brand) wouldn’t stand on its own. However, Nate eventually learned that when it came to the vacuum affiliation … most people just didn’t care.
Where We Are Today
The Rock Creek location was outgrown, too. After much consideration, Nate decided on one more big move: to an old General Electric plant.
From family farm, to local company, and finally to a 40,000 square-foot facility in Jefferson, Ohio, Bissell has come a long way.
We’re honored to share with you the Bissell Maple story. We take pride in its history and feel privileged to be a part of it.
Incidentally, we have all developed quite a taste for that sweet, high-quality, pure maple syrup … and we hope you will, too!
President Ronald Reagan visiting our building back when it was still a General Electric factory