Meat+Poultry - November 2022 - 42

PLANT PROFILE
Old Wisconsin's focus
on shelf-stable meat
snacks has worked well
with the latest keto and
protein snack trends.
" This is a
team sport,
and we're
family, we all
work together
towards a
common goal "
- CHUCK PFRANG
at the formulation, stuffing, thermal processing
and cut down plant starts with protein going
through a coarse grind with 3/8-inch plate. From
there, spices, culture and cure are mixed, and
then it goes to the fine grind.
The emulsion is then dumped into
Handtmann stuffers on the stuffing lines, which
use cameras to look for foreign materials.
" We've got a perfect record, " Pfrang said.
Once stuffed, product is racked and sent
first to a secret process that gives it a flavor
unique to Old Wisconsin and then to one of 13
Alkar ovens to remove the precise amount of
moisture, making them the highest quality meat
snacks the company can produce.
" It's traditional recipes that date back to
the inception of the company, a German-style
product that we still maintain, " Harrison said.
" The other part is people really care about
what they're doing. The care that our staff puts
in, they will take care of the detail, make sure
the product is consistent and be proud of the
product when it goes out the door. "
PEOPLE AND CULTURE
Buddig, Harrison and Pfrang all emphasize the
focus on putting the right people in the right
positions while letting those people find their
way within the company and not locking them
into a specific role. At a deeper level, it's also
imperative to make sure employees understand
the philosophies and values of Old Wisconsin,
and that includes executives and stakeholders.
Buddig uses the word transparency when
describing the relationship between owners,
executives, managers, employees, and the
whole chain from Buddig family members
to the workers on the floor. The trust built
through transparency permeates every
42 MEAT+POULTRY | 11.22 | www.meatpoultry.com
relationship, at every level. For Carl Buddig
and Co. and Old Wisconsin, that's what it
means to be a family business.
" It's important for our staff to understand
that they're important and you always have
to find ways to thank them, compliment them
for what they're doing, " Harrison said. " The
biggest component of that is being able to sit
in a meeting, listen to what we've done, what
we're going to do, and be able to walk up
to the CEO of the company, and either have
suggestions, ideas, concerns or complaints. "
Old Wisconsin's family ownership and
community-driven dynamic result in a unique
working environment. The people who work
there understand their importance when the
company involves them in planning and shares
important information. The workforce also
has access that many companies don't offer
through an open-door policy that extends all
the way to the executive suite.
" I would say that Bobby [Bob Buddig]
would take a phone call from anybody off the
shop floor if they had a concern, " Harrison
said. " What that's done over the years is
develop that same concept of family, of culture
and of trust. We're a community. "
Old Wisconsin also operates without silos.
If employees show an aptitude or desire for
food safety or worker safety, they will become
a part of those teams and take on those tasks
and responsibilities.
" This is a team sport, and we're family, we
all work together towards a common goal, "
Pfrang said. " You are not bound by your job
description in any way, shape or form, and if
you look at our promotions, I don't know the
exact number, but I would guess about 90% of
our promotions are all internal. "
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