Who is J.R. Simplot from Fast Food Nation and what is their importance?

Simplot began his road to wealth by purchasing 600 hogs and taking them to the desert. There, he shot wild horses and fed the remains to his hogs all winter. In the spring, he sold his hogs for a substantial profit and went into potato farming. During World War II, he added onions and a dehydration machine, selling the onion flakes to the U.S. Army. After the war, he moved into the area of frozen french fries, without much success, until he realized that the real market for them was institutions and restaurant chains. He sold the idea to Ray Kroc in 1965, as a means to greatly reduce labor costs and to guarantee uniformity of size and taste in all McDonald's restaurants. Simplot, along with two competitors, now control 80% of the American potato industry.