Heinkel's Packing Co
Heinkel's Packing Co is a fourth-generation, family-owned USDA-inspected meat processor in Decatur, Illinois, producing hickory-smoked sausages, deli meats, hams, bacon, and turkey drums using century-old recipes for Midwest grocery, food service, and direct retail customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1912
- HeadquartersDecatur, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Heinkel's Packing Co does
Heinkel's Packing Co is a fourth-generation, family-owned meat processing company founded in 1912 by German immigrant Albert Heinkel and headquartered at a USDA federally inspected facility in Decatur, Illinois. The company produces a portfolio of hickory-smoked meat products including sausages (Polish, Hot Polish, Andouille, breakfast, Italian rope), deli meats (Bologna, Braunschweiger, Ring Bologna), wieners, hickory-smoked hams, bacon, turkey drums, chili con carne, and smoked pet treats, all produced using century-old family recipes and a 12-hour natural hickory smoking process with locally sourced Amish wood. Beyond core products, the company offers deer/venison custom processing for hunters, private-label manufacturing services for retailers and brands, and direct-to-consumer meat bundles (Holiday Hero, Tailgater).
The business operates across four revenue streams: wholesale distribution through a network of 11+ regional and national distributors (including Gordon Food Service, Sysco of Central Illinois, US Foods, and Performance Food Service); retail availability at grocery chains such as Kroger, County Market, Schnucks, Save-A-Lot, and IGA; over-the-counter direct sales at the Decatur facility; and bulk/event supply to fairs, festivals, and theme parks. Pricing is unit-based at roughly $3-5 per pound for most items with custom quotes for bulk orders of 5,000+ pounds. The company has earned multiple best-in-show awards from the Illinois Association of Meat Processors and an Illinois Grand Champion award for its jalapeno and cheese wieners. The company is privately held with no external investors, led by Wes Heinkel (President) and Dennis Heinkel (Vice President), both fourth-generation family members.
Heinkel's Packing Co firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Heinkel's Packing Co
- Legal name
- Heinkel's Packing Co., Inc.
- Website
- https://heinkelspacking.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1912
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Heinkel's Packing Co is a fourth-generation, family-owned USDA-inspected meat processor in Decatur, Illinois, producing hickory-smoked sausages, deli meats, hams, bacon, and turkey drums using century-old recipes for Midwest grocery, food service, and direct retail customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Heinkel's Packing Co industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Smoked Meat Processing
- NAICS
- Meat Processed from Carcasses (311612), Dog and Cat Food Manufacturing (311111)
- SIC
- Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Further Processing (Cooked, Smoked, Cured & Deli Meats) (AFAKALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Case-Ready Pork Packaging (MAP, Tray-Pack, Vacuum Skin) (AFANABAC)
Keywords
Where Heinkel's Packing Co is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Decatur
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Heinkel's Packing Co business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Wholesale Meat Distribution: Products sold through distributors to grocery stores and restaurants throughout the Midwest.
- Direct Retail Sales: Over-the-counter sales at the Decatur facility, including retail products and meat bundles.
- Private Label Services: Selling products under customer brands with ability to create custom products using their recipes and manufacturing capabilities.
- Deer/Venison Processing Services: Custom processing of customer-supplied boneless deer meat into various venison products.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wieners and Franks |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Deli Meats |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Fresh and Smoked Sausage |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pet Treats |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Meat Bundles |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Custom/Bulk Quotes |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Heinkel's Packing Co product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Heinkel's Packing Co is a USDA federally inspected meat processing company that produces smoked meats and sausages using family recipes dating to 1912. Core products include hickory-smoked turkey drums, sausages, deli meats, hams, bacon, wieners, smoked pet treats, and chili con carne, with complementary deer processing and private label services.
Product overview
Heinkel's Packing Co is a family-owned meat processing company founded in 1912, currently operated by the 4th generation. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of meat products including Turkey Drums, Sausages (Polish, Hot Polish, Skinless Polish, Andouille, Breakfast, Italian Rope), Deli Meats (Bologna, Braunschweiger, Pickle and Pimento Loaf, Ring Bologna), Hickory-Smoked Hams, Bacon, Wieners (jumbo, bun length, jalapeno and cheese), Smoked Pet Treats (pork femur bones), Chili Con Carne, and pre-configured Meat Bundles. The company provides processing services including Deer Processing for venison products and Private-Label packaging for customers wanting to sell their recipes under different brands. All products are naturally hickory-smoked using local Amish hickory wood and many have won awards from the Illinois Association of Meat Processors. The company operates as a USDA federally inspected meat processing facility.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Turkey Drums Fully cooked, hickory-smoked, size-sorted jumbo turkey legs that are tumbled and tenderized. Available in bulk orders of 5,000+ pounds for fairs, festivals, theme parks, and Renaissance festivals.
- Sausages 100% pork sausages with natural casings made from family-owned recipes and naturally hickory-smoked using local Amish hickory wood. Includes Polish sausage (the #1 seller), Hot Polish, Skinless Polish, Andouille, Breakfast Sausage, and Italian Rope Sausage.
- Deli Meats Handcrafted deli meats including Bologna, Braunschweiger, Pickle and Pimento Loaf, and Ring Bologna. All naturally hickory-smoked using local Amish hickory wood with award-winning recipes dating to 1912.
- Hickory-Smoked Pet Treats Cured, salted, and hickory-smoked pork femur bones for dogs. Average length of 10 inches, available in bulk cases of 20 pieces.
- Chili Con Carne Versatile chili con carne product that can be used for traditional chili, chili over spaghetti, chili cheese dip, and chili dogs.
- Hickory-Smoked Hams Naturally hickory-smoked overnight for 12 hours using local Amish hickory wood. Available as whole bone-in hams, bone-in shank portions, bone-in butt portions, and boneless flat hams.
- Bacon Medium to thick cut bacon carried for over 100 years. Available in 30 lb. platter, 1.5 lb. vacuum package, 3 lb. vacuum package, Applewood bacon, and rind-on bacon.
- Wieners 100% pork, hickory-smoked wieners using local Amish hickory wood. Available as 4-1 jumbo (4=1 lb.), 8-1 bun length (8=1 lb.), Jalapeno and cheese wieners (Illinois grand-champion winner), and hog-casing wieners with natural casings.
- Meat Bundles Pre-configured product bundles including the Holiday Hero Bundle (12 lbs. smoked bone-in ham, 3 lbs. bacon, various sausages and wieners totaling 21 lbs.) and the Tailgater Bundle (7.5 lbs. of various sausages and wieners).
- Deer Processing Service Custom processing service that transforms customer-supplied boneless venison into venison summer sausage, polish, bratwurst, slim sticks, bologna, jalapeno and cheese bologna, breakfast sausage, Italian fresh sausage, jalapeno and cheese wiener, cheese slim stick, burger, and burger with pork or beef suet.
- Private Label Meat Manufacturing Private label services allowing customers to sell Heinkel's recipes and manufacturing output under their own brand, including product innovation services to develop custom products using Heinkel's recipes and USDA-inspected manufacturing capabilities.
Companies that use Heinkel's Packing Co
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Heinkel's Packing Co technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Heinkel's Packing Co partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Meats PluscoreRegional meat distributor serving as a distribution partner for Heinkel's products.
- Kohl WholesalecoreRegional food service distributor carrying Heinkel's meat products.
- Gordon Food ServicecoreNational food service distributor providing wide distribution for Heinkel's products.
- Sysco of Central IllinoiscoreRegional Sysco distributor serving Central Illinois with Heinkel's products.
- US FoodscoreNational food service distributor and strategic partner for Heinkel's distribution.
- County MarketcoreRegional grocery chain carrying Heinkel's products at multiple store locations throughout the Midwest.
- KrogercoreNational grocery retailer carrying Heinkel's products including braunschweiger at stores like Bloomington, IL location.
- Performance Food ServicecoreNational food service distributor and distribution partner.
- Jones PoultryminorRegional poultry and meat distributor.
- UW ProvisionsminorRegional food service distributor.
- Hansen PackingminorRegional meat packing distributor.
- Hoelting Food ServiceminorRegional food service distributor.
- Fare Foods Corp.minorFood service distributor for concession and fair products.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Heinkel's Packing Co competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Jones Dairy Farm: Family-owned Wisconsin producer with a multi-generational heritage comparable to Heinkel's, offering smoked meats, sausages, and bacon distributed nationally through grocery and foodservice.
- Usinger's Famous Sausage: Fourth-generation, family-owned Milwaukee sausage maker with a similar heritage-led artisanal positioning, comparable specialty deli meat portfolio, and overlapping Midwest grocery and foodservice distribution.
- Pine Ridge Farms: Specialty venison and wild-game processor with comparable custom processing services and direct-to-consumer distribution, mirroring Heinkel's deer/venison processing line.
- Nueske's Meat Products: Wisconsin-based artisan smokehouse specializing in hickory-smoked hams, bacon, and sausages; closely comparable in production method (wood smoking), premium positioning, and Midwest regional distribution.
- Klements Sausage Company: Family-owned Milwaukee-based sausage and smoked meat producer with a comparable Midwest footprint, similar German-style recipe heritage, and overlapping distribution through foodservice and retail deli channels.
- Wampler's Farm Sausage: Family-run Tennessee sausage maker with a similar direct-to-consumer plus regional foodservice model, comparable smoked sausage and deli meat portfolio, and a private-label/white-label offering.
Broad incumbents
- Boar's Head Provision Co. National premium deli meat and sausage brand with overlapping smoked meats, wieners, and hams; competes for the same grocery deli and foodservice shelf space but at much broader scale and with national distribution.
- Dietz & Watson: Premium deli meat, sausage, and smoked meat producer with a comparable artisanal-leaning positioning but a national footprint and broader private-label program competing for the same retail deli space.
- Eckrich (Smithfield Foods): National smoked sausage and deli meat brand under Smithfield, with overlapping sausage and lunch meat categories and similar foodservice distribution, but operating at a fundamentally larger scale.
- Hillshire Farm (Hillshire Brands / Tyson): Mass-market sausage and smoked meat brand from a national incumbent with comparable product categories (smoked sausage, lunch meats, hams) but vastly larger scale, lower price positioning, and nationwide distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Heinkel's Packing Co social profiles
Digital presenceHeinkel's Packing Co compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Heinkel's Packing Co financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Heinkel's Packing Co leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Heinkel's Packing Co funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Heinkel's Packing Co M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Heinkel's Packing Co
What does Heinkel's Packing Co do?
Heinkel's Packing Co is a USDA federally inspected meat processing company that produces smoked meats and sausages using family recipes dating to 1912. Core products include hickory-smoked turkey drums, sausages, deli meats, hams, bacon, wieners, smoked pet treats, and chili con carne, with complementary deer processing and private label services.
Is Heinkel's Packing Co a public or private company?
Heinkel's Packing Co is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Heinkel's Packing Co founded?
Heinkel's Packing Co was founded in 1912. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Heinkel's Packing Co based?
Heinkel's Packing Co is headquartered in Decatur, United States, in the North America region.
How does Heinkel's Packing Co make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Wholesale Meat Distribution is the primary driver. The others are direct Retail Sales, private Label Services and deer/Venison Processing Services.
Who are Heinkel's Packing Co's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Jones Dairy Farm, Usinger's Famous Sausage, Pine Ridge Farms, Nueske's Meat Products, Klements Sausage Company and Wampler's Farm Sausage. Broad incumbents are Boar's Head Provision Co., Dietz & Watson, Eckrich (Smithfield Foods) and Hillshire Farm (Hillshire Brands / Tyson).
Does Heinkel's Packing Co have an API?
No public API is recorded for Heinkel's Packing Co.
What industry is Heinkel's Packing Co in?
Heinkel's Packing Co's product category is Smoked Meat Processing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKALAD, Further Processing (Cooked, Smoked, Cured & Deli Meats), with a secondary code of AFANABAC, Case-Ready Pork Packaging (MAP, Tray-Pack, Vacuum Skin). Its NAICS code is 311612 and its SIC code is 2013.