Johnsonville Sausage
Johnsonville Sausage is a privately held, family-owned Wisconsin-based meat manufacturer and America's #1 national sausage brand, producing 80+ varieties across fresh, smoked, breakfast, and snacking formats for retail grocers, foodservice, and 40+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1945
- HeadquartersSheboygan Falls, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Johnsonville Sausage does
Johnsonville Sausage, founded in 1945 and headquartered in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, is a privately held, family-owned meat manufacturer operating as America's #1 national sausage brand. The company produces approximately 80 varieties of sausage across fresh grilling, fully cooked links, smoked rope, breakfast links and patties, ground sausage, meatballs, snacking formats, and limited-time seasonal collaborations (e.g., Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy and Oktoberfest beer brats; Dr Pepper Inspired Sausage launching March 2026). Manufacturing relies on conventional sausage-production technology using premium pork, natural and collagen casings, proprietary herb-and-spice blends, and clean-label inputs free from artificial colors, flavors, nitrates, and nitrites; in January 2024 Johnsonville acquired its Wisconsin-based co-packer Salm Partners and consolidated production there and in Denmark, closing its Meadowside plant in Sheboygan County by end of 2024.
Johnsonville monetizes primarily through branded packaged-goods retail sales via mass-market grocers (Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, Ahold Delhaize, Meijer, Hy-Vee), convenience (7-Eleven), a B2B foodservice channel serving 75+ U.S. professional, semi-pro, and college sports stadiums plus restaurants and caterers, international distribution to 40+ countries, and a small direct-to-consumer e-commerce marketplace (johnsonvillemarketplace.com) selling branded merchandise and gift boxes. Go-to-market is product-led, leveraging innovation cycles, celebrity partnerships (Brian Baumgartner), and brand collaborations (Dr Pepper, Leinenkugel's, Grillo's Pickles) to drive velocity, supported by a multi-channel marketing platform centered on the "Keep It Juicy" brand campaign (2025 Silver Effie winner) and the long-running Big Taste Grill charity program. The company employs approximately 4,000 people globally and operates with no disclosed institutional investors or public listing.
Johnsonville Sausage firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Johnsonville Sausage
- Legal name
- Johnsonville, LLC
- Website
- http://www.johnsonville.com/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1945
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Johnsonville Sausage is a privately held, family-owned Wisconsin-based meat manufacturer and America's #1 national sausage brand, producing 80+ varieties across fresh, smoked, breakfast, and snacking formats for retail grocers, foodservice, and 40+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Johnsonville Sausage industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sausage Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Animal Slaughtering and Processing (3116), Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (42447)
- SIC
- Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sausage Manufacturing (Fresh, Cooked, Fermented, Emulsified) (AFANAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Specialty & Regional Processed Meats (Ethnic/Traditional Sausages, Regional Cures) (AFANAEAK), Processed & Value-Added Meat & Poultry Wholesale (Deli Meats, Sausages, Smoked) (AFAIADAE), Frozen Meat & Poultry Meals & Value-Added Proteins (CRADADAH)
Keywords
Where Johnsonville Sausage is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sheboygan Falls
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Johnsonville Sausage business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Packaged Sausage Sales: Primary revenue from selling packaged sausage products through major retail chains including Walmart, Kroger, Meijer, Hy-Vee, and other grocery stores. Products include fresh grilling sausages, fully cooked links, smoked sausages, breakfast items, and snacks.
- Foodservice Distribution: B2B sales to foodservice operators including sports stadiums (75+ U.S. professional, semi-pro, and college stadiums) and other institutional buyers.
- E-commerce Marketplace: Direct-to-consumer sales of merchandise, sausage swag, and grilling accessories through the Johnsonville Marketplace (johnsonvillemarketplace.com).
- International Sales: Sausage products sold across 40+ countries internationally.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Oktoberfest Beer Brats retail price |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels10 records
Johnsonville Sausage product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Johnsonville Sausage is a family-owned American sausage manufacturer founded in 1945 that produces 80+ varieties of sausage including fresh bratwurst, smoked sausage, fully cooked sausage, breakfast links and patties, chicken and turkey sausage, dinner sausage, rope sausage, and meatballs. Products are sold to individual consumers through retail grocery, and to foodservice operators including sports stadiums, restaurants, and international distributors across 40+ countries.
Product overview
Johnsonville Sausage offers a diverse portfolio of sausage products primarily centered around fresh grilling sausages, fully cooked sausages, and snacking products. The core product lines include Breakfast Links & Patties, Chicken & Turkey Sausage, Fresh Grilling Sausage (featuring Original Brats, Beer Brats, Italian Sausage, and seasonal varieties), Fully Cooked Sausage Links, Grillers Sausage Patties, Ground Sausage, Meatballs & Slices, Smoked Rope Sausages, and Snacking Sausage. The company also operates collaborative limited-time offerings such as the Dr Pepper Inspired Sausage (launching March 2026) and Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy Beer Brat. Beyond packaged products, Johnsonville maintains the Big Taste Grill charitable program and Johnsonville Marketplace for branded merchandise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Fresh Bratwurst (Brats)
Quantifiable outcome
- Summer Shandy Beer Brat became Johnsonville's fastest-selling limited-time offer product within four months of launch
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Johnsonville Sausage
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Johnsonville Sausage technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Johnsonville Sausage partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Brian Baumgartner (Actor)minor'The Office' actor partnered with Johnsonville for multiple activations including #KeepTheInternetJuicy initiative and Swing State Sausage Support Plan in Scranton, PA. Helped launch campaign encouraging people to share content highlighting unexpected acts of togetherness.
- Dr PeppercoreBrand collaboration launching Johnsonville Dr Pepper Inspired Sausage featuring a unique 'SWALTY' (sweet and salty) flavor profile that blends Dr Pepper's 23 distinct flavors into a savory format. Product available nationwide at major retailers starting March 1, 2026, supported by 15-second advertisements across linear and digital platforms.
- Hold Fast (Creative Agency)coreMilwaukee-based boutique creative agency partnered with Johnsonville on the 'Keep It Juicy' campaign and National Temperature Check. The collaboration earned a Silver Effie in the Marketing Disruptor category. Campaign included national TV spots, earned media, print ads, and social ambassador program.
- Grillo's PicklesminorFastest-growing refrigerated pickle brand joined the Leinenkugel's x Johnsonville Summer 2025 partnership with social media integration and retail meal solutions at select locations.
- The Forward Fund Partnership (Kohler Co., Masters Gallery, Sargento, Sheboygan County)coreJohnsonville joined with Kohler Co., Masters Gallery, Sargento, and Sheboygan County to form The Forward Fund, contributing $10M to build 200+ single-family homes for talent recruitment and housing needs in Sheboygan County. Partnership won 'Working Together' award from Sheboygan Chamber of Commerce.
- Broken Bat BreweryminorJohnsonville supported 'No-Phone Friday' initiative encouraging guests to ditch mobile screens. Johnsonville served brats during events, provided giveaways and prizes, and encouraged donations for Mental Health America of Wisconsin. Supported Johnsonville's 'Keep It Juicy' campaign about togetherness.
- Leinenkugel's (Molson Coors Beverage Company)coreMulti-year brand partnership creating limited-time beer brat flavors including Summer Shandy Beer Brat (2024 debut, returned 2025) and Oktoberfest Beer Brat (2025). The collaboration combines Leinenkugel's beer with Johnsonville sausage, with joint retail displays, promotions, social media collaborations, and sweepstakes. Grillo's Pickles joined as an additional partner in 2025.
- Salm PartnerscoreJohnsonville acquired Salm Partners, its Wisconsin-based co-packer, strengthening Johnsonville's position in the ready-to-eat sausage category. Production from the closing Meadowside plant shifted to Salm Partners' facilities in Wisconsin and Denmark.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Johnsonville Sausage competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Jimmy Dean (Tyson Foods): Jimmy Dean is the leading U.S. breakfast sausage brand and a direct competitor to Johnsonville's breakfast links and patties. Both brands compete for the same shelf set in Kroger, Walmart, and other major chains and share the breakfast-occasion consumer.
- Eckrich (Smithfield Foods): Eckrich is a competing smoked sausage and lunch meat brand owned by Smithfield, with similar product positioning in rope sausage and lunchmeat categories. It sells through the same mass-market U.S. grocery and foodservice channels as Johnsonville.
- Hillshire Brands (Tyson Foods): Hillshire, owned by Tyson, is a direct competitor in branded sausage (Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean) with overlapping retail and foodservice distribution. Comparability comes from nearly identical product mix in pork sausage, breakfast links, and smoked varieties sold through the same major U.S. grocery channels.
- Hebrew National: Hebrew National is a leading national kosher frankfurter and prepared-meat brand with overlapping retail distribution and comparable brand-strength dynamics. While kosher-focused, it competes for the same grilling and family-meal occasions as Johnsonville.
Broad incumbents
- Smithfield Foods: Smithfield is the largest U.S. pork processor and supplies many of Johnsonville's raw material needs while also competing through Eckrich and other sausage brands. Comparable as a vertically integrated pork and sausage competitor with mass-market retail and foodservice presence.
- Hormel Foods: Hormel is a diversified packaged meats incumbent with significant sausage and breakfast protein exposure (Hormel, Jennie-O, Skippy). Comparable as a major branded protein company competing in the same retail and foodservice channels, though with a much broader portfolio.
- Oscar Mayer (Kraft Heinz): Oscar Mayer is a broader processed-meat incumbent under Kraft Heinz with overlapping hot dog, lunch meat, and smoked sausage products. Comparable as a mass-market U.S. processed-meat brand selling through the same retail customers, though its portfolio extends well beyond sausage.
- Boar's Head: Boar's Head is a deli and prepared-meat incumbent with a growing sausage and frankfurter line sold through delicatessens and grocery. Comparable as a major branded protein competitor with overlapping retail customers, though its center of gravity is deli meats rather than grilling sausage.
Emerging players
- Kiolbassa Smoked Meats: Kiolbassa is a Texas-based craft sausage and smoked-meat brand growing presence in natural and specialty retail channels. Comparable as a sausage specialist competing in similar grilling and snacking occasions, though smaller and more regionally focused than Johnsonville.
- Aidells Sausage Company (Flagship Food Group): Aidells is a premium, all-natural sausage brand focused on chicken-apple, smoked andouille, and other artisanal varieties. Comparable as a sausage-only brand in the same premium/gourmet retail channel, though smaller and more limited in distribution scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Johnsonville Sausage social profiles
Digital presenceJohnsonville Sausage financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Johnsonville Sausage leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Johnsonville Sausage funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Johnsonville Sausage M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments4 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Johnsonville Sausage
What does Johnsonville Sausage do?
Johnsonville Sausage is a family-owned American sausage manufacturer founded in 1945 that produces 80+ varieties of sausage including fresh bratwurst, smoked sausage, fully cooked sausage, breakfast links and patties, chicken and turkey sausage, dinner sausage, rope sausage, and meatballs. Products are sold to individual consumers through retail grocery, and to foodservice operators including sports stadiums, restaurants, and international distributors across 40+ countries.
Is Johnsonville Sausage a public or private company?
Johnsonville Sausage is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Johnsonville Sausage founded?
Johnsonville Sausage was founded in 1945. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Johnsonville Sausage based?
Johnsonville Sausage is headquartered in Sheboygan Falls, United States, in the North America region.
How does Johnsonville Sausage make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail Packaged Sausage Sales are the primary driver. The others are foodservice Distribution, E-commerce Marketplace and international Sales.
Who are Johnsonville Sausage's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Jimmy Dean (Tyson Foods), Eckrich (Smithfield Foods), Hillshire Brands (Tyson Foods) and Hebrew National. Broad incumbents are Smithfield Foods, Hormel Foods, Oscar Mayer (Kraft Heinz) and Boar's Head. Emerging players are Kiolbassa Smoked Meats and Aidells Sausage Company (Flagship Food Group).
Does Johnsonville Sausage have an API?
No public API is recorded for Johnsonville Sausage.
What industry is Johnsonville Sausage in?
Johnsonville Sausage's product category is Sausage Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFANAEAC, Sausage Manufacturing (Fresh, Cooked, Fermented, Emulsified), with a secondary code of AFANAEAK, Specialty & Regional Processed Meats (Ethnic/Traditional Sausages, Regional Cures). Its NAICS code is 3116 and its SIC code is 2013.