Old Wisconsin Sausage expanding

Old Wisconsin Sausage has begun work on a new 104,000-square-foot headquarters in Sheboygan’s south-side industrial park.

The new facility at 4036 Weeden Creek Road will serve as the company’s corporate headquarters and will also be used for distribution and packaging, company officials said Thursday, Oct. 29.

The project should be completed in May.

Steve Harrison, the company vice president and general manager, said about 250 existing employees will work at the new site and another 20-30 positions will be added there shortly after it opens in spring. At peak times, the company's payroll grows to about 370.

Harrison also said the company expects to see “notable” job growth at its various Sheboygan County locations in the coming years.

"This is an organization-changing investment," said Harrison, following a ground-breaking ceremony Thursday, Oct. 29. "We were managing capacity for a number of years. This gives us an opportunity to go after more business, create more jobs and give more security to the people we currently employ."

Harrison said the popularity of high-protein snacks has led to growing demand for the company's smoked snack sausage products, which are now the company's largest product segment and are the main driver behind the company's expansion plans.

Old Wisconsin snack sticks are sold throughout the U.S. and Canada. The company also produces hot dogs and brats that are sold in the Midwest.

"We are seeing protein snacking really taking on a life of its own," Harrison said.

That's led the company to run short on space at its 84,000-square-foot production and packaging facility at 2413 Union Ave. The company also operates a distribution facility and offices at 5030 Playbird Road in Sheboygan.

The Union Avenue location will be used solely for production once the new building opens, while Playbird Road will be used for excess storage, Harrison said.

The company began more than 60 years ago as Thielmann’s, a small sausage shop owned and operated by Frank Thielmann and William Stolzman.

It was purchased in 1981 by Illinois-based Carl Buddig and Co., a family-owned meat processing company. It remains owned by the Buddig family today.

“This building represents more to us than an expansion of Old Wisconsin. It is a physical expression of our commitment to this community and to the people here who mean so much of our future," said Bob Buddig, the company's CEO, during the ground-breaking ceremony.

Reach Josh Lintereur at 920-453-5147, jlintereur@sheboyganpress.com or on Twitter @joshlintereur