Knauss Foods

What Knauss Foods does

Knauss Foods Inc. is a privately held, family-rooted dried beef producer headquartered at 625 E. Broad Street in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1902 by Edward W. Knauss as a small meat market operation, the company has specialized for over 120 years in slowly cured, air-dried, lean dried beef produced using traditional brick ovens and smokehouses and the original family recipe. The business was held within the Knauss family for five generations before being sold to Alderfer Inc. in 2004 and then acquired by Paul J. Kozloff in 2011, who formed the current entity Knauss Foods Inc.

The product portfolio centers on the flagship Knauss Dried Beef line (3oz and 4oz pouches, sliced dried beef in jars, and half/whole dried beef deli knuckles including a double-smoked variant), supplemented by the acquired sub-brands Carson's, Andrew's, and Beardsley. A microwavable 10oz Creamed Chipped Beef pouch extends the line into convenience formats. Products are positioned as 98% fat-free, 100% pure beef, gluten-free, MSG-free, and made in the USA from a four-ingredient recipe (beef, water, salt, sugar, sodium nitrite).

The company generates revenue by selling packaged dried beef to three primary segments: retail grocery (including Walmart and Costco), food service distributors supplying restaurants, hotels, and institutions, and food manufacturers using dried beef as an ingredient. Wholesale customers can also pick up orders directly from the Quakertown plant. Marketing is conducted primarily through the company website, which features product information, heritage storytelling, downloadable recipe guides, and a 'Where to Buy' store locator.

Name

Knauss Foods

Legal name

Knauss Foods Inc.

Website

https://knaussfoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1902

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Knauss Foods Inc. is a privately held, fifth-generation dried beef producer founded in 1902 and headquartered in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. It sells slowly cured, air-dried dried beef products under the Knauss, Carson's, Andrew's, and Beardsley brands to retail grocery (Walmart, Costco), food service distributors, and food manufacturers across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Processed Meat Products (Dried Beef)

NAICS

Meat Processed from Carcasses (311612), Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (42447)

SIC

Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Meat Packing Plants (2011), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Cured Meats (Dry-Cured, Wet-Cured, Hams, Bacon) (AFANAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cooked & RTE Processed Meats (Roasts, Meatloaf, Sliced RTE) (AFANAEAF), Canned Meat, Poultry & Seafood Manufacturing (AFAKACAD)

Keywords

• Dried beef products
• Cured meat processing
• Deli meat manufacturing
• Creamed chipped beef
• Traditional beef curing

Headquarters

HQ city

Quakertown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dried Beef Product Sales: Knauss Foods generates revenue through the sale of dried beef products including pouches (3oz & 4oz), creamed chipped beef (10oz microwavable pouches), dried beef knuckles (half & whole pieces), and sliced dried beef in jars. Products are sold to retailers, food service distributors, and food manufacturers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Knauss Foods manufactures and sells authentic Pennsylvania Dutch-style dried beef products using a 121-year-old family recipe, slow-cured and air-dried in traditional brick ovens and smokehouses. The company produces dried beef pouches, creamed chipped beef in microwavable pouches, dried beef deli knuckles, and sliced dried beef in jars, sold through retail grocery stores, warehouse clubs, food service distributors, and food manufacturers across the United States.

Product overview

Knauss Foods is a family-owned dried beef company operating since 1902, producing authentic Pennsylvania Dutch-style dried beef products. The product portfolio centers on the core Knauss Dried Beef line (pouches, jars, deli knuckles), supplemented by sub-brands Carson's and Beardsley. Key offerings include dried beef pouches (3oz and 4oz), 10oz Creamed Chipped Beef in microwavable pouches, deli knuckles (regular and double smoked), and sliced dried beef in jars. Products are characterized as 98% fat free, 100% pure beef, slowly cured, gluten free, and MSG free. The company acquired several brands over the years including L. Foulke & Son, Andrews Dried Beef Co., and Carson's Packing Co., which continue as sub-brand offerings alongside the primary Knauss brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Knauss Dried Beef: The original flagship dried beef brand using the 121-year-old family recipe.
• Andrew's Dried Beef
• Carson's Dried Beef
• Beardsley Dried Beef

Products and services

• Knauss Dried Beef Pouches Old-fashioned slowly cured, lean dried beef trimmed to 92%-98% leanness and dried in smokehouses. Available in 3oz and 4oz pouches. Features 98% fat free, 100% pure beef, slowly cured, gluten free, quality slices. Sold to retail grocery stores including Walmart for individual consumer purchase.
• Knauss Creamed Chipped Beef (10oz Microwavable Pouch) Traditional century-old creamed chipped beef recipe using authentic Knauss dried beef. Packaged in a microwavable pouch ready to eat in 2 minutes. Suitable as topping for toast, biscuits, baked potatoes, home fries, noodles, pizza, and rice. MSG free and gluten free. Targets home cooks seeking convenient classic dishes.
• Dried Beef Deli Knuckles Authentic half and whole dried beef knuckle pieces for deli service, available in regular and double-smoked varieties. Gluten free. Sold primarily to food service distributors and food manufacturers for use in restaurant, hotel, and institutional food service operations.
• Knauss Sliced Dried Beef (Jars) Sliced dried beef packaged in glass jars. Ingredients: Beef, Water, Salt, Sugar, Sodium Nitrite. Sold at retail locations for consumers seeking ready-to-use sliced dried beef.
• Carson's Dried Beef Pouches Sub-brand dried beef pouches (3oz and 4oz) produced under the Carson's label, traced to Philadelphia's Carson's Packing Co. established in 1888. Same characteristics as the Knauss Dried Beef pouches: 98% fat free, 100% pure beef, slowly cured, gluten free, quality slices.
• Beardsley Dried Beef Jars Dried beef in jars sold exclusively at Costco warehouse locations. Three 4.5 oz. jars per package. Sub-brand offering distributed through warehouse/club store channel.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Alderfer Inc.majorOthers · 1 January 2004In 2004, Alderfer Inc. of Harleysville, PA acquired the dried beef division of E.W. Knauss, including the Andrew's, Carson's, and Knauss dried beef brands. This acquisition brought facility upgrades and expansions, distribution territory extensions, and customer base development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Hormel Foods: Diversified multinational processed meat and food company with broad cured, dried, and shelf-stable meat portfolios (e.g., Hormel Cure 81, Skippy, Spam). Comparable to Knauss as a competitor in the cured/preserved meat category, but operating at vastly greater scale across many product lines.
• Jack Link's: Largest U.S. branded meat snack company, specializing in jerky and dried/cured meat snacks sold through grocery, club, and convenience channels. Comparable to Knauss in product format (dried/cured beef), retail channel presence, and focus on portable, shelf-stable meat products.
• Plumrose USA: Producer of deli meats, bacon, and cooked/processed meats for retail and foodservice. Comparable to Knauss as a competitor in cured/preserved meats and as a co-manufacturer/supplier into the same retail grocery and food service channels.
• Johnsonville Sausage: Largest U.S. sausage brand, with portfolio spanning fresh, smoked, and fully cooked sausages sold across retail and foodservice. Comparable to Knauss as a player in traditional prepared/processed meats, though Johnsonville operates at much greater scale and breadth.

Direct peers

• Old Wisconsin: Specialty manufacturer of traditional cured and smoked meat snacks (sausages, beef sticks, dried meats) sold through retail and club channels. Closely comparable to Knauss in product format (slow-cured, shelf-stable dried meats), channel mix (retail + club stores), and clean-label marketing positioning.
• Bridgford Foods: Manufacturer of processed meat and snack products including dry sausage, jerky, and frozen bread/dough items, serving retail and foodservice customers. Comparable to Knauss in scale (small-cap public), product format (dried/cured meats), and multi-channel distribution model.
• Daniele International: Producer of Italian-style cured meats (salami, prosciutto, soppressata, dried beef) sold through retail deli and grocery channels. Comparable to Knauss in the production of traditional, slowly cured shelf-stable dried meats, with similar deli-counter and packaged-goods retail presence.
• Boar's Head: Premium delicatessen meats brand offering cured, smoked, and dried meats through supermarket deli counters and packaged retail. Comparable to Knauss in heritage positioning, premium cured-meat product set, and emphasis on traditional preparation methods.
• Dietz & Watson: Fourth-generation family-owned deli meat and specialty food producer with cured and dried meat products sold through retail and foodservice. Comparable to Knauss in family heritage positioning, specialty/cured meat focus, and mid-size specialty food manufacturer scale.
• Hanover Foods: Pennsylvania-based family-owned food manufacturer producing canned, frozen, and shelf-stable prepared foods, including meat products, sold through retail and food service. Comparable to Knauss in regional Pennsylvania heritage, multi-channel distribution, and mid-size specialty food manufacturer profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/knaussfoods
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knauss-snack-foods

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Knauss Foods