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PO Box 906 Sheboygan Falls, WI 53085
Made The Johnsonville Way
1945
The Year Was 1945
In 1945, Ralph F. and Alice Stayer opened a butcher shop and named it after their quaint hometown – Johnsonville, Wisconsin. The delicious sausage made in the Stayer’s butcher shop came from an old family recipe, which made its way down the family tree from 19th-century Austria. This recipe became known as the sausage with the BIG TASTE, and a legacy was born!
1950
During the 1950s
During the 1950s, the Stayers answered the high demand for Johnsonville Sausage and expanded into nearby communities. In 1970, trucks took to the road and began delivering the BIG TASTE of Johnsonville Sausage to stores throughout Wisconsin.
1978
In 1978
In 1978, Ralph C. Stayer, son of Ralph F. and Alice Stayer, became president of the company and launched an expansion by selling Johnsonville’s products outside Wisconsin. At the same time, a second plant was built and Johnsonville began airing television commercials
1980
During the mid-1980s
During the mid-1980s, a direct sales force was launched, sales increased 20-fold from a decade earlier and distribution expanded to 47 states.
2022
Today
Today, Johnsonville is the most popular brand of sausage in the United States and is available in more than 45 countries. The company remains privately owned.