Kessler's

What Kessler's does

Kessler's, Inc. (operating as Kesslers Food Services Inc.) is a Pennsylvania-based meat processing and food manufacturer founded in 1916 in Easton, PA, and currently headquartered at 811 Spangler Road, Camp Hill, PA, as a subsidiary of Brother and Sister Foods following its 2022 acquisition. The company operates a USDA-inspected facility producing frankfurters (including the Penn State co-branded Nittany Lion Franks line launched in 1977), smoked sausages (under the Kessler and Primal Scream brands), ring bolognas (Kessler and Ahrens sub-brands), breakfast selections (scrapple), and resale products such as Wenger's Ham Loaf.

The business runs a wholesale B2B model selling case lots to retailers, distributors, foodservice operators, organizations, and fundraisers, with private label manufacturing for retail chains, distributors, and other meat/poultry companies. Distribution is regional and entirely self-operated — pickup at Camp Hill or refrigerated truck delivery within a 60-90 mile radius, with a $300 minimum order and quote-based pricing; no UPS/FedEx shipping and no e-commerce. Sales are phone-based (717-763-7162), with limited digital presence beyond a catalog website and a Facebook page.

Revenue mechanics are one-time wholesale transactions with no recurring software or subscription component. Customer segments are horizontal (retailers, distributors, foodservice, fundraising organizations, private label buyers). The company's competitive positioning rests on 108+ years of operating history, signature brand IP (Nittany Lion Franks, Easton Bologna, Primal Scream), USDA/federal inspection status enabling interstate sales, and a regional delivery footprint that supports fresh-product service standards.

Name

Kessler's

Legal name

Kessler's Inc.

Website

https://kesslerfoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kessler's is a Pennsylvania-based, USDA-inspected meat manufacturer (founded 1916) producing frankfurters, smoked sausages, ring bolognas, and breakfast products, selling wholesale case lots to retailers, distributors, foodservice operators, and private label customers within a 60-90 mile radius of Camp Hill, PA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Processed Meat Manufacturing

NAICS

Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers (42447), Other Food Manufacturing (3119), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Hot Dogs, Frankfurters & Bologna (Emulsified/Comminuted Meats) (AFANAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meat, Poultry & Seafood Wholesale (AFAIABAF), Refrigerated Meat & Charcuterie Wholesale (AFAIAHAI)

Keywords

• Meat processing
• Food manufacturing
• Wholesale distribution
• Private label manufacturing
• Sausage production

Headquarters

HQ city

Lemoyne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Branded Product Sales: Kessler's manufactures and sells branded food products (hot dogs, sausages, bologna) directly to customers through wholesale orders. Products are sold in case lots for pickup or delivery.
2. Private Label Manufacturing: The company produces private label food products for retail chains, distributors, and other meat and poultry companies, generating revenue through manufacturing agreements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kessler's manufactures and wholesales branded processed meat products including frankfurters (Nittany Lion Franks, beef franks), smoked sausages, ring bologna (Kessler and Ahrens sub-brands), and pan scrapple. The company sells case lots to retailers, distributors, foodservice operators, clubs, and fundraisers, and provides private-label meat manufacturing services for retail chains, distributors, and other meat and poultry companies. Products are delivered regionally via an owned refrigerated truck fleet within a 60–90 mile radius of Camp Hill, PA.

Product overview

Kessler's is a family-owned meat processing and food manufacturing company founded in 1916, now operating as a subsidiary of Brother and Sister Foods. The company produces a portfolio of meat products organized into four main categories: hot dogs/frankfurters (including the Penn State-branded Nittany Lion Franks line and 7" Beef Franks), smoked sausages (under the Kessler and Primal Scream brands), ring bolognas (Kessler and Ahrens sub-brands), and breakfast selections (scrapple). The company also resells Wenger's Ham Loaf. Products are available in retail and foodservice packaging formats, and the company provides private-label manufacturing for retail chains, distributors, and other meat companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nittany Lion Franks: Famous frankfurter named for the Penn State mascot, introduced in 1977
• Primal Scream
• Kessler's

Products and services

• Nittany Lion Franks Frankfurter product line offered in multiple formats including pork and beef Nittany Lion Franks, all-beef Nittany Lion Beef Franks, Nittany Lion Cheese Franks with cheddar, and King Size variants. Pack sizes include 12/1 lb and 6/3 lb with 4-8 per lb options. Sold wholesale to retailers, distributors, and foodservice operators under the Penn State-affiliated Nittany Lion brand.
• Nittany Lion Beef Franks All-beef frankfurters sold under the Nittany Lion brand in partnership with Penn State. Available in 12/1 lb pack sizing. Wholesale case-lot product for retail deli, foodservice, and distributor customers.
• Nittany Lion Cheese Franks Pork and beef frankfurters with cheddar cheese incorporated into the product, sold under the Nittany Lion brand.
• Nittany Lion King Franks King-sized pork and beef franks at 4 per pound, a larger-format variant of the Nittany Lion frankfurter line for foodservice and retail.
• 7" Beef Franks Seven-inch all-beef frankfurters with a touch of garlic, sold in family pack format as part of Kessler's frankfurter wholesale line.
• Kessler's Primal Screams Very hot smoked sausage made with pork and beef, sold under the Primal Scream sub-brand to retail, foodservice, and distributor wholesale customers.
• Kessler's 5" Smoked Sausage Standard five-inch smoked sausage links made with pork and beef, available in multiple pack sizes for wholesale retail and foodservice customers.
• Kessler's 5" Smoked Hot Sausage Spicy five-inch smoked sausage links made with pork and beef, sold wholesale to retailers, distributors, and foodservice operators.
• Kessler's 5" Smoked Beef Sausage All-beef five-inch smoked sausage links, a beef-only smoked sausage variant in Kessler's smoked sausage portfolio.
• Kessler's 8" Curved Hot Smoked Sausage Eight-inch curved hot smoked sausage links made with pork and beef, designed for both foodservice and retail channels.
• Kessler's Smoked Beef Sausage Natural Pork Casing All-beef smoked sausage links with natural pork casing for traditional texture, sold wholesale within Kessler's smoked sausage line.
• Kessler's Plain Ring Bologna Classic ring bologna without added garlic, marketed under the Kessler wholesale brand for retail and foodservice customers.
• Kessler's Garlic Ring Bologna Ring bologna with garlic seasoning added, sold wholesale under the Kessler brand to retail and foodservice customers.
• Ahrens Small Butcher Bologna Small-format butcher-style bologna from the Ahrens sub-brand, suitable for deli or foodservice wholesale accounts.
• Ahrens Butcher Bologna Chubs Butcher-style bologna in chub packaging from the Ahrens sub-brand for deli sales at wholesale.
• Kessler's Pan Scrapple Fresh pork scrapple in one-pound cryovac-sealed packages, sold as a breakfast meat product on the wholesale breakfast selections page.
• Wenger's Ham Loaf Ham loaf product sold for resale, available in multiple package sizes for foodservice and retail channels via Kessler's resale products page.
• Private Label Meat Manufacturing Contract manufacturing of meat products (including frankfurters, sausages, bologna, and related processed meats) under customer-owned brands for retail chains, distributors, and other meat and poultry companies. Produced at Kessler's USDA- and federally-inspected facility in Camp Hill, PA.

Quantifiable outcome

• Guaranteed fresh products with on-time delivery commitment

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Brother and Sister FoodscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Kessler's Inc. was purchased by Aziz Sahovic of Brother and Sister Foods in 2022. Operations moved to their state-of-the-art facility in Camp Hill, PA. Kesslers Food Services Inc. now operates as a subsidiary of Brother and Sister Foods. Brother and Sister Foods is described as the largest manufacturer of Eastern European Meat and canned products in the United States, shipping throughout the US, Canada, and Europe.
• Penn State UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1977In 1976, Kessler presented the idea of a frankfurter named for the Penn State mascot, and in 1977, Kessler\u2019s Nittany Lion Franks became a reality. This branded product partnership created a unique hot dog line named after the Penn State Nittany Lion mascot.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Boar's Head Provisions: National premium deli meats and sausage brand. Broad incumbent competing in the same retail deli and foodservice categories as Kessler’s but at much larger scale and national distribution.
• Vienna Beef: Chicago-based hot dog and sausage manufacturer with national foodservice distribution. Broad incumbent in the franks/hot dog category that competes for institutional and foodservice accounts.
• Hebrew National (Marathon Enterprises): National kosher frankfurter brand. Broad incumbent in the hot dog/frankfurter category that competes directly with Kessler’s Nittany Lion Franks at retail, especially in Mid-Atlantic markets.

Direct peers

• Dietz & Watson: Philadelphia-area premium meat and deli products manufacturer producing sausages, franks, and charcuterie. Direct competitor in the Mid-Atlantic premium prepared meat category with overlapping foodservice and retail customers.
• Hatfield Quality Meats: Pennsylvania-based pork and prepared meat processor (subsidiary of Clemens Food Group) producing franks, sausages, and bacon. Closely comparable regional manufacturer with overlapping product categories and customer channels.
• Leidy's: Pennsylvania-based meat products manufacturer producing hams, sausages, and prepared meats for retail and foodservice. Regional Mid-Atlantic competitor with similar product mix and customer base.
• Essem Meats (formerly Schmidt's of Baltimore): Baltimore-based sausage and prepared meats maker serving Mid-Atlantic foodservice and retail. Directly comparable regional sausage/frankfurter specialist with similar heritage and channel mix.

Regional players

• Kayem Foods: New England-based family-owned meat manufacturer producing franks, sausages, and deli meats. Comparable as a regional prepared meat specialist with strong brand heritage and similar channel strategy.
• Berks Packing Company: Pennsylvania-based meat processor producing sausages, scrapple, and prepared meats. Regional comparable serving the same Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic retail/foodservice channels with overlapping product categories.

Others

• Brother and Sister Foods: Parent company of Kessler’s since 2022 and the largest U.S. Eastern European meat manufacturer. Included as a relevant ecosystem/parent relationship for context, though not a product competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kesslerfoods/?fref=ts

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 Kessler's