Amylu Foods
Amylu Foods is a Chicago-based, female-founded natural-protein CPG manufacturer producing all-natural, antibiotic-free chicken sausages, burgers, meatballs, and related products, selling nationwide through major grocery and warehouse-club retailers under its own and legacy Leon's, Slotkowski, and Klement's brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Amylu Foods does
Amylu Foods is a Chicago-based, privately held natural-protein CPG manufacturer that produces all-natural, antibiotic-free chicken sausages, burgers, meatballs, breakfast patties, breakfast bites, crumbles, and beef snack sticks, alongside legacy ethnic sausages retained under the Leon's (founded 1924) and Slotkowski brands, and traditional pork sausages under the Klement's brand acquired in May 2024. The company sells through a nationwide wholesale channel covering warehouse clubs (Costco, BJ's), mass (Walmart), premium natural (Whole Foods, Sprouts, Fresh Thyme, Erewhon), and major regional grocery chains (Kroger, Albertsons, Wegmans, Meijer, Food Lion, Giant, ShopRite), with a store locator and (currently paused) direct-to-consumer storefront on its own website. Manufacturing is anchored at the Chicago headquarters (1400 W 44th St) with a second plant in Milwaukee inherited from the Klement's acquisition, where a $10 million modernization investment has been committed.
The business model is standard CPG wholesale: one-time unit-priced product sales to retail buyers, with club pack and bulk SKUs offered for warehouse channels; pricing is set at retail rather than disclosed publicly. Customer segments are health-conscious consumers, families, and fitness-focused buyers seeking clean-label protein without antibiotics, nitrates, nitrites, MSG, preservatives, or artificial ingredients, with premium sub-lines certified Organic, Whole30 Approved, and G.A.P. animal-welfare. The company employs approximately 350-400 people across its two sites, is female-founded and third-generation family-led by Amy Kurzawski, and in August 2025 received a strategic investment from TowerBrook Capital Partners and Prelude Growth Partners to scale operations and expand nationwide distribution.
Amylu Foods firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Amylu Foods
- Legal name
- Amylu Foods, LLC
- Website
- https://amylufoods.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Amylu Foods is a Chicago-based, female-founded natural-protein CPG manufacturer producing all-natural, antibiotic-free chicken sausages, burgers, meatballs, and related products, selling nationwide through major grocery and warehouse-club retailers under its own and legacy Leon's, Slotkowski, and Klement's brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Amylu Foods industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Natural Protein Foods
- NAICS
- Poultry Processing (311615), Food Manufacturing (311)
- SIC
- Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ready-to-Eat/Ready-to-Heat Poultry Meals & Components (Meal Kits, Fully Cooked Items) (AFANACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Snacking & Single-Serve Protein Meals (Bowls, Bites, Packs) (AFANAFAH), Frozen Prepared Meat & Seafood Meals (AFANAFAC)
Keywords
Where Amylu Foods is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Amylu Foods business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- CPG Food Products Sales: Amylu Foods manufactures and sells natural protein food products including chicken sausages, burgers, meatballs, breakfast patties, breakfast bites, snack sticks, and crumbles through retail grocery channels. Revenue generated from product sales to consumers via major grocery retailers.
- Traditional Sausage Products: Company also manufactures and sells traditional ethnic and specialty sausages under Leon's Sausage Company (founded 1924) and Slotkowski brands, maintaining old-world recipes and traditional sausage-making techniques.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Retail pricing through grocery retailers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Amylu Foods product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Amylu Foods manufactures and sells natural chicken-based protein products including chicken sausages (50+ flavors), chicken burgers, chicken meatballs, breakfast patties, breakfast bites, snack sticks, and crumbles, plus traditional Polish and European-style sausages under Leon's Sausage, Slotkowski, and Klement's brands. All products are all-natural, antibiotic-free, and free of nitrates, nitrites, added MSG, preservatives, and artificial ingredients, sold through major U.S. retail grocery chains.
Product overview
Amylu Foods is a female-founded, Chicago-based natural protein CPG company celebrating over 100 years of culinary craftsmanship. The company operates as a unified product portfolio centered on chicken-based proteins, comprising three core product lines: Chicken Sausages (50+ flavors), Chicken Burgers, and Chicken Meatballs, all made from all-natural, antibiotic-free ingredients with no nitrates or nitrites. The portfolio is organized into sub-brands and product tiers including Organic, No Antibiotics (ABF), Whole30 Approved, and Club Pack bulk sizes. Supporting the core chicken business, Amylu Foods also manufactures legacy ethnic sausages under Leon's Sausage (founded 1924) and Slotkowski (acquired 1992), and expanded through the 2024 acquisition of Wisconsin-based Klement's Sausage Company. Additional product lines include Breakfast Patties, Breakfast Bites, Chicken Crumbles, and Teriyaki Beef Snack Sticks. The company positions itself as the pioneer of the chicken sausage category since 1992, with small-batch production and constant flavor innovation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Leon's Sausage Company: Old-world sausage products featuring traditional recipes including Polish Sausage, Wieners, and Specialty Ethnic Sausages.
- Slotkowski Sausages
- Sausages by Amylu
- Meatballs by Amylu
- Burgers by Amylu
Products and services
- Chicken Sausages All-natural, antibiotic-free chicken sausages available in over 50 flavors including Apple & Gouda, Andouille, Italian-Style, Cacio e Pepe, and Fajita-Style; nitrate-free, nitrite-free, and made without artificial ingredients, targeted at health-conscious consumers shopping at retail grocers.
- Chicken Meatballs Fully-cooked chicken meatballs available in flavors such as Roasted Garlic with Fontina/Parmesan/Pecorino Romano, Italian-Style, Teriyaki Pineapple, and Cranberry & Jalapeño, sold in 10 oz, 23 oz, and 32 oz sizes for retail grocery consumers.
- Chicken Burgers Fully-cooked, uniquely-flavored chicken burgers including Caramelized Onion & Gouda, Three Pepper, and Spinach & Feta, available in antibiotic-free and organic varieties for retail consumers.
- Breakfast Patties Chicken breakfast patties including Breakfast Time and Maple Chicken varieties, available in organic and antibiotic-free versions, sold at retail grocery for family breakfast use.
- Breakfast Bites Bite-sized chicken breakfast products including Country Style, White Cheddar with Uncured Bacon, and Maple & Cherry varieties, sold at retail grocery for on-the-go breakfast occasions.
- Chicken Crumbles Seasoned chicken crumbles available in Italian Style and Korean BBQ Style varieties for quick meal preparation, sold through retail grocery for consumers seeking convenient weeknight dinners.
- Teriyaki Beef Snack Sticks Grass-fed beef snack sticks in teriyaki flavor with 9g protein per serving, marketed for convenient on-the-go snacking and travel, sold through retail grocery.
- Club Pack Bulk/reserve packaging assortment of sausages, burgers, meatballs, breakfast patties, crumbles, and breakfast sausages sold through club and warehouse retailers for value-oriented consumers.
- Leon's Sausage Old-world traditional sausage products founded in 1924 by Leon Tiahnybik, featuring Polish Sausage, Wieners, and Specialty Ethnic Sausages made from European recipes and sold through retail grocery.
- Slotkowski Sausages Traditional Polish and European-style sausages from the Chicago company founded in 1918, featuring Authentic Cajun-Style Andouille Sausage, Polska Kielbasa, and Garlic Sausage (Knockwurst), preserving old-world recipes after the 1992 acquisition and sold through retail grocery.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100+ years of culinary craftsmanship
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Amylu Foods
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Amylu Foods technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Amylu Foods partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Klement's Sausage CompanycoreAmylu Foods acquired Klement's Sausage Company, a Milwaukee-based sausage maker, from Altamont Capital Partners in May 2024. The deal included Klement's manufacturing facility, brands, and approximately 300 employees, expanding Amylu's product range and production capacity. $10 million investment planned to modernize Klement's Milwaukee facility.
- Sircle MediaminorSircle Media contributed recipe content for Amylu Foods website, providing the Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatball Skewers recipe.
- PaycorminorPaycor provides Amylu Foods' time management system for employee timekeeping purposes. Amylu maintains a biometric data privacy policy regarding Paycor's time clock system per Illinois BIPA requirements.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Amylu Foods competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Applegate Farms: Natural and antibiotic-free meats brand offering chicken sausages, burgers, and deli meats through the same grocery channels as Amylu. Closest direct competitor in the better-for-you chicken protein category.
- Aidells Sausage Company: Premium fully-cooked chicken and pork sausages and meatballs sold through grocery retail. Directly comparable product format, channel strategy, and flavor-innovation approach to Amylu's core chicken sausage and meatball lines.
- Bilinski's Sausage: Premium natural chicken sausage maker competing in the same specialty/gourmet grocery channel as Amylu, with a similar clean-ingredient positioning and flavor-driven SKU strategy.
- Perdue Farms (Harvestland / Perdue Short Cuts): Major poultry processor with a natural/antibiotic-free sub-brand (Harvestland) and fully-cooked chicken products (Short Cuts) that overlap with Amylu's ABF chicken sausage, burger, and meatball offerings at mass retail.
- Bell & Evans: Premium natural and antibiotic-free chicken brand, including frozen chicken sausages and prepared chicken products, distributed in natural and conventional grocery — competing head-to-head with Amylu in the better-for-you chicken segment.
- Coleman Natural Foods: All-natural and organic meat brand (part of Perdue) with chicken sausages and prepared chicken items sold through grocery and club channels — directly comparable in ingredient positioning and channel mix.
Emerging players
- True Story Foods: Clean-protein snack and meat stick brand with overlapping ABF/clean-label positioning. Less scale than Amylu but addresses the same health-conscious consumer, particularly in the snacking daypart Amylu is entering with its teriyaki beef snack sticks.
Broad incumbents
- Tyson Foods: Mass-market poultry and prepared foods company and parent of Aidells and Hillshire Farm. Competes with Amylu across conventional and natural chicken protein categories via owned brands and private label.
- Hormel Foods: Diversified protein and foods company and parent of Applegate Farms. Competes with Amylu through Applegate in the natural chicken sausage category and through broader deli/prepared meat lines at the same retail customers.
- Pilgrim's Pride: One of the largest U.S. poultry processors, supplying both branded and private-label chicken products to the same grocery and club customers as Amylu. Represents the scale incumbent Amylu competes against on shelf and via private label.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Amylu Foods social profiles
Digital presenceAmylu Foods financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Amylu Foods leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Amylu Foods subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Amylu Foods funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Amylu Foods M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Amylu Foods
What does Amylu Foods do?
Amylu Foods manufactures and sells natural chicken-based protein products including chicken sausages (50+ flavors), chicken burgers, chicken meatballs, breakfast patties, breakfast bites, snack sticks, and crumbles, plus traditional Polish and European-style sausages under Leon's Sausage, Slotkowski, and Klement's brands. All products are all-natural, antibiotic-free, and free of nitrates, nitrites, added MSG, preservatives, and artificial ingredients, sold through major U.S. retail grocery chains.
Is Amylu Foods a public or private company?
Amylu Foods is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Amylu Foods founded?
Amylu Foods was founded in 1992. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Amylu Foods based?
Amylu Foods is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Amylu Foods make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. CPG Food Products Sales are the primary driver. The others are traditional Sausage Products.
Who are Amylu Foods's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Applegate Farms, Aidells Sausage Company, Bilinski's Sausage, Perdue Farms (Harvestland / Perdue Short Cuts), Bell & Evans and Coleman Natural Foods. True Story Foods is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Tyson Foods, Hormel Foods and Pilgrim's Pride.
Does Amylu Foods have an API?
No public API is recorded for Amylu Foods.
What industry is Amylu Foods in?
Amylu Foods's product category is Natural Protein Foods. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFANACAG, Ready-to-Eat/Ready-to-Heat Poultry Meals & Components (Meal Kits, Fully Cooked Items), with a secondary code of AFANAFAH, Snacking & Single-Serve Protein Meals (Bowls, Bites, Packs). Its NAICS code is 311615 and its SIC code is 2013.