Johnsonville Foods
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Johnsonville Sausage is a Wisconsin-based sausage producer, founded in 1945 by Ralph F. & Alice Stayer. Johnsonville Foods produces various varieties of sausage including fresh bratwurst, Italian sausage, smoked-cooked links and fresh breakfast sausage links. In 2004 Johnsonville became the largest sausage company in the United States in terms of sales. More than 4,000 McDonald's restaurants across the nation offer Johnsonville Brats on a seasonal basis.
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[edit] History
Established in 1874 and named after U.S. President Andrew Johnson, Johnsonville is a small rural Wisconsin village in Sheboygan County in the midst of dairy farms and cheese factories. It was popularly known as Schnappsville, and is still much the same as it was back in 1945 when Johnsonville Sausage was founded. It's little more than a country crossroads marked by a dance hall, tavern, volunteer fire department house — and Johnsonville Sausage.
Ralph and Alice Stayer opened a butcher shop and named it after their quaint hometown of Johnsonville, Wisconsin. The sausage made in the Stayer’s shop was from an old family recipe that found its way down the family tree from 19th century Austria.
During the 1950s and 1960s Johnsonville sausage was in such high demand that the Stayers were able to expand to three retail grocery meat markets in nearby communities. The Stayer’s children, Ralph C. and Launa, both became involved in sausage making and promoted the expansion of the company’s wholesale business.
Ralph C. Stayer became president of Johnsonville and launched the company into a major expansion by shipping its products out-of-state. A second plant was built and in 1981 Johnsonville aired its first TV commercial that featured the unforgettable “Charlie Murphy’s cooking Johnsonville Brats!”
In 1984 Launa Stayer started the company’s first direct sales force and continued to distribute to new markets across the country. The 1980s saw a sales increase of 20 times more than a decade ago. Johnsonville sausage was distributed to 47 states.
In 1995, Johnsonville Sausage celebrated its 50th anniversary by sponsoring a giant outdoor event, free to the public, at the local fairgrounds. To commemorate the anniversary, Johnsonville launched the first Big Taste Grill, the world’s largest touring grill. Traveling the country, the Big Taste Grill makes appearances throughout the year promoting the great taste of Johnsonville sausage while supporting fundraising efforts in the communities in which it appears.
Today the company's original sausage kitchen, slaughter shed and smokehouse have been replaced with modern, state-of-the-art facilities and a worldwide distribution system.
[edit] Dinner sausage
Johnsonville is the nation’s #1 brand of fresh dinner sausage, including bratwurst and Italian sausage. No other major processed meat producer in the world offers more flavors of brats than Johnsonville. About 60 percent of the company’s sales are from brats.
Varieties include:
- Johnsonville Original Bratwurst Links
- Johnsonville Beer'n Bratwurst Links
- Johnsonville Cheddar Bratwurst Links
- Johnsonville Savory Onion Bratwurst Links
- Johnsonville Hot 'n Spicy Bratwurst
- Johnsonville Oktoberfest Bratwurst
Johnsonville is the nation’s #1 brand of smoked sausage links. Johnsonville offers the following smoked-cooked varieties:
- Johnsonville Beer Brats
- Johnsonville Cooked Brats
- Johnsonville Smoked Brats
- Johnsonville Stadium Style Brats
- Johnsonville Better with Cheddar Links
- Johnsonville New Orleans Spicy Smoked Sausage
- Johnsonville Polish Sausage
- Johnsonville Beef Bratwurst
- Johnsonville Mild Italian Sausage Links
- Johnsonville Smoked Sausage
Johnsonville is also a leading brand of Fresh Grilling Sausage in the following varieties:
- Johnsonville Snack Sausage and Ring Bologna: Original Summer Sausage, Beef Summer Sausage, Garlic Summer Sausage, Old World Recipe Summer Sausage, Little Smokies, Brat Bites, Beef Ring Bologna
In 2003, Johnsonville introduced Heat & Serve Brats & Mild Italian in select markets. The new Heat & Serve line offers the same bold and juicy taste of Johnsonville’s fresh sausages in a frozen product that could be quickly prepared in a microwave in about 90 seconds. Johnsonville Heat & Serve Dinner Sausages won the Consumers’ Choice Pork Award in 2004.
[edit] Breakfast sausage
Johnsonville is the number #1 brand of fresh breakfast links. Johnsonville offers the following fresh breakfast sausage:
- Johnsonville Original Breakfast Links
- Johnsonville Original Breakfast Patties
- Johnsonville Vermont Maple Syrup Links
- Johnsonville Vermont Maple Syrup Patties
- Johnsonville Brown Sugar & Honey Links
- Johnsonville Hickory Smoke Breakfast Sausage
Johnsonville Sausage products are available in 39 countries including France, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Hong Kong, China and the United States. Johnsonville has an employee base of over 1,000 employees.
