Outagamie County, WI - "From Humble Beginning...to Area's Largest Business...Hillshire
Farm Co."
          
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   Subject: newspaper article "From Humble Beginning...to Area's Largest
   Business...Hillshire Farm Co."
   Submitted by: county coordinator 
   EMAIL: jmmarasch@aol.com
   Date Submitted: 15 March 2000
          
   Source: New London Press newspaper article from Bicentennial issue, undated.
   
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From Humble Beginning...to Area's Largest Business...Hillshire Farm Co.
        A dream coupled with a burning ambition, created the area's largest business.
        In 1926 Fred (Fritz) Bernegger left his native country of Austria, to try his skills as butcher,
meat cutter and
   sausage maker in America.  He began work in a large meat plant in St. Paul, MN.  Unsatisfied
with the lack of
   challenge he took a meat cutting job in Milwaukee, WI.  Working conditions and a very
undesirable union situation
   made it unpleasant.  Hopfensperger Sausage Co., Appleton had an opening which would give
him an opportunity to
   use his skills.  In a short time, he held a responsible position.
        News of Fritz's ability in meat science soon became known.  Mr. Frank Jennings of New
London hired him
   for his market.  After six months (in 1929) Bernegger and William Schmidt, a meat cutter for
Jennings, bought the
   business and named it Quality Market.
        Armelia Sambs Bernegger came into the business at this time.  She still holds an active
position. Increased
   business created a second Quality Market in 1934.  As their fame grew, their sausage kitchen
became too small.  A
   new building was built (present site of Coast to Coast).        Need for a separate building to slaughter livestock used by the retail markets gave birth to
Quality Packing
   in 1936.  A parcel of land was purchased on County Trunk D south of New London, a building
built and Quality
   Packing House began on a small scale.
            Mr. Schmidt suffered a heart attack in 1953 and decided upon semi-retirement.  In 1954
the partnership of
   Schmidt and Bernegger was dissolved.
            Although the business had expanded yearly, Bernegger was anxious to improve facilities
and expand his territory
   to other points in Wisconsin.  At this time, a federal brand name "Hillshire" was acquired and
is still in use.
            Gradual improvements and expansion kept the business growing.  Quality Packing was
incorporated with the
   Bernegger family all taking an active part in the business.            In 1969 Quality Packing House, Inc. became a federally inspected plant.  This enabled
them to sell Hillshire meats
   all over the world including England and Japan.  World market opened an avenue of better
business opportunities.
            Consolidated Foods, Inc. suggested affiliation and Hillshire became a subsidiary. In
1971, with an exchange of
   stock, Hillshire was converted into Consolidated Food available on the New York Stock
Exchange. This gave
   interested employees an opportunity to invest in company stock.
            Fred Bernegger became chairman of the Board, Gary Bernegger company president and
David Wenberg vice
   president.  Department heads were appointed and a new regime began.  In a state famous for
Old World sausages
   New London's Hillshire Farms has quietly become it's greatest producer.  It is obvious that
Fritz Bernegger knows
   how to make all the European favorite Old World Sausages.            Beef is brought into the plant in carcass form to be processed.  Much of the lower grades
go into sausage. 
   Boneless beef is another specialty.
            Hillshire introduced meat type hogs to local farmers.  Since then, their pork is much in
demand for its lean quality
   and fine flavor.  The lard is rendered each day and sent out in heated liquid form to area
bakeries.  The lard tank
   trucks have a capacity of about 35,000 pounds.            At present Hillshire Farm has 726 employees. Sales have extended from three to forty
states. There are sixteen
   full time road salesmen, also a sales supervisor and office force in the sales office. At the
present time 75 vehicles are
   on the road at all times selling and delivering Hillshire Farm products.            Buildings have been improved and new buildings added: modern machinery and quality
control speed up
   productions of a quality product. The present expansion program includes a new stock yard
and building of an edible
   rendering plant.
            Fred Bernegger says "One reason we have been able to handle our accelerated growth is
that our managment
   team and key production people have been trained over a period of years. With so many
experienced people
   supervising, new employees can be trained the way they should be, and that's how people build
real pride in their
   work."
    A Dream Fulfilled.