? Following the evolution of two sausage entrepreneurs By Keith Nunes knunes@sosland.com T he sausage business has changed. Since M&P first began publishing its Gourmet Sausage issue 17 years ago, the barriers to pre- venting small companies with limited capital from entering the business have grown. Retailers charge marketing, slotting and demo fees while mega-companies like Sysco Corp. and U.S. Foodservice have a stranglehold on distribution to the What was once a side business for many has grown into big business, and the costs required to "get in the game" are significant. But there are some small processors who are quietly succeeding. Every few years we check in on some of the gourmet sausage companies we have profiled in the past. Business rarely remains stagnant and it's interesting to see how some of these small companies have evolved with the changing landscape of the marketplace. Getting into the sausage business isn't impossible, but it requires direction in order restaurant trade. 18 MEAT&POULTRY www.MEATPOULTRY.com JANUARY 2004http://www.MEATPOULTRY.com