Eckrich
Eckrich is a heritage U.S. consumer packaged goods brand owned by Smithfield Foods (NYSE: SFD), marketing smoked sausages, deli meats, and franks through national grocery retail to families, home cooks, and gathering hosts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1894
- HeadquartersLisle, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Eckrich does
Eckrich is a consumer packaged goods brand specializing in smoked sausages and deli meats, operating as a wholly owned brand of Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NYSE: SFD). Headquartered in Lisle, Illinois, the company markets a focused SKU portfolio — Smoked Sausage Rope, Smoked Sausage Links, Breakfast Smoked Sausage Links, Cocktail Smoked Sausage (Li'l Smokies), Deli Meat, Packaged Lunchmeat, and Franks — distributed through mainstream U.S. retail grocery channels. Eckrich targets home cooks, families, and party/entertaining hosts across breakfast, lunch, dinner, gameday, and holiday occasions, anchored on its heritage dating to 1894 and the 2026 national "The Sausage That Takes You Home" multi-channel marketing campaign.
The company generates revenue through retail wholesale of its CPG meat portfolio; its core technology is not publicly disclosed and no proprietary AI, API, or data assets are described. Growth-oriented activity centers on SKU extension (May 2024 Andouille Rope Sausage; April 2026 Andouille Smoked Sausage Link), supported by content marketing — a categorized recipe library, an email newsletter club, and a promotional partnership with the Meatopia platform — alongside national TV, streaming, social, and digital media buying for the 2026 grilling campaign. Distribution follows a regional-to-national rollout pattern, beginning at select Midwest retailers and expanding to broader U.S. availability.
Eckrich operates as a sub-brand inside Smithfield Foods' diversified protein platform and benefits from the parent's processing scale, procurement leverage, and retail relationships. Standalone financial metrics, headcount detail, and management roster are not publicly disclosed at the brand level. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by retailer and SKU; expansion of usage occasions (kid-friendly, gameday, holidays) and ongoing product launches are the primary observable growth levers.
Eckrich firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Eckrich
- Legal name
- Eckrich (brand of Smithfield Foods, Inc.)
- Website
- https://eckrich.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1894
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Eckrich is a heritage U.S. consumer packaged goods brand owned by Smithfield Foods (NYSE: SFD), marketing smoked sausages, deli meats, and franks through national grocery retail to families, home cooks, and gathering hosts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Eckrich industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Smoked Sausage and Deli Meats
- NAICS
- Animal Slaughtering and Processing (3116)
- 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
- Hot Dogs, Frankfurters & Bologna (Emulsified/Comminuted Meats) (AFANAEAG), Deli Meats & Luncheon Meats (Sliced/Portioned Cold Cuts) (AFANAEAD)
Keywords
Where Eckrich is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lisle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Eckrich business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Consumer Packaged Goods - Retail: Eckrich generates revenue through the sale of smoked sausage, deli meats, franks, and related packaged meat products sold through retail grocery channels. Products include Smoked Sausage Rope, Smoked Sausage Links, Breakfast Smoked Sausage Links, Cocktail Smoked Sausage, Deli Meat, Packaged Lunchmeat, and Franks. The brand is a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods and is distributed through mainstream grocery retailers across the United States.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Eckrich product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Eckrich manufactures and sells smoked sausage products (rope, links, breakfast links, cocktail/Li'l Smokies) and deli meats (sliced deli meat, packaged lunchmeat, franks) targeted at U.S. households. The brand is positioned as 'The Sausage That Takes You Home,' with a focus on convenient, ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat protein options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and entertaining occasions.
Product overview
Eckrich is a Smithfield Foods brand offering a focused portfolio of smoked sausage and deli meat products. The core product line includes Smoked Sausage Rope, Smoked Sausage Links, Breakfast Smoked Sausage Links, Cocktail Smoked Sausage (Li'l Smokies), Deli Meat, Packaged Lunchmeat, and Franks. The brand centers on its 'The Sausage That Takes You Home' campaign celebrating grilling season and home cooking traditions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Smoked Sausage Rope Traditional rope-style smoked sausage, a signature product for the Eckrich brand for home cooking and grilling.
- Smoked Sausage Links Pre-formed smoked sausage links available in various sizes for grilling and cooking.
- Breakfast Smoked Sausage Links Smoked sausage links specifically formatted for breakfast meals.
- Cocktail Smoked Sausage Small-sized smoked sausages, also known as Li'l Smokies, designed for parties and appetizers.
- Deli Meat Sliced deli meats available for purchase at deli counters.
- Packaged Lunchmeat Pre-packaged lunch meats for retail sale.
- Franks Hot dog style frankfurters.
- Andouille Rope Sausage Andouille-style rope smoked sausage extending the Eckrich smoked sausage portfolio.
- Andouille Smoked Sausage Link Pre-formed Andouille smoked sausage links extending the Eckrich smoked sausage portfolio, building on the Andouille Rope Sausage line.
Companies that use Eckrich
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Eckrich technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Eckrich partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- MeatopiaminorEckrich has a promotional partnership with Meatopia platform where consumers can visit the Eckrich House on Meatopia for exclusive deals, recipes, and chances to win prizes. This is a marketing collaboration to drive consumer engagement and brand awareness through recipe content and promotional offers.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Eckrich competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Jimmy Dean: Jimmy Dean (Tyson Foods) is a leading U.S. breakfast sausage brand; Eckrich's Breakfast Smoked Sausage Links directly compete with Jimmy Dean's breakfast sausage portfolio in the refrigerated breakfast meat set.
- Hebrew National: Hebrew National is a Conagra brand specializing in kosher frankfurters and deli meats, directly competing with Eckrich's Franks product line in the refrigerated wiener category.
- Armour: Armour is a sibling Smithfield Foods brand offering franks, luncheon meats, and sausages — operating under the same parent as Eckrich and competing head-to-head within Smithfield's own portfolio and in retail.
- Hillshire Farm: Hillshire Farm is a Tyson Foods brand offering smoked sausage, lunchmeat, and deli meats — directly competing with Eckrich's product portfolio across the same retail grocery channel and consumer occasions.
- Oscar Mayer: Oscar Mayer (Kraft Heinz) is a flagship processed meats brand offering franks, lunchmeat, and bacon — competing with Eckrich's Franks and Packaged Lunchmeat across mainstream U.S. grocery channels.
- Boar's Head: Boar's Head is a major deli meat and sausage brand with strong deli-counter and packaged lunchmeat presence — directly competing with Eckrich's Deli Meat and Packaged Lunchmeat lines in retail and deli.
- Bar-S Foods: Bar-S Foods manufactures value-priced frankfurters, sausages, and lunchmeat sold through U.S. grocery — competing with Eckrich's Franks and entry-tier sausage SKUs on price-sensitive shelves.
- Johnsonville: Johnsonville is the largest U.S. sausage brand, offering smoked sausage, breakfast links, brats, and cocktail sausages with national grocery distribution — a direct head-to-head competitor to Eckrich in the smoked sausage category.
Broad incumbents
- Smithfield (other Smithfield brand portfolio): Smithfield Foods' broader brand portfolio (Gwaltney, Cook's, etc.) operates under the same corporate parent and shares distribution, manufacturing, and marketing infrastructure with Eckrich, creating internal portfolio dynamics that influence Eckrich's positioning.
Emerging players
- Kiolbassa: Kiolbassa is a Texas-based craft smoked sausage brand with growing national distribution — an emerging competitor in the premium smoked sausage segment where Eckrich's Andouille line extension competes.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Eckrich social profiles
Digital presenceEckrich financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Eckrich leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Eckrich funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Eckrich 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 Eckrich
What does Eckrich do?
Eckrich manufactures and sells smoked sausage products (rope, links, breakfast links, cocktail/Li'l Smokies) and deli meats (sliced deli meat, packaged lunchmeat, franks) targeted at U.S. households. The brand is positioned as 'The Sausage That Takes You Home,' with a focus on convenient, ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat protein options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and entertaining occasions.
When was Eckrich founded?
Eckrich was founded in 1894. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Eckrich based?
Eckrich is headquartered in Lisle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Eckrich make money?
One revenue line is on record: consumer Packaged Goods - Retail.
Who are Eckrich's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Jimmy Dean, Hebrew National, Armour, Hillshire Farm, Oscar Mayer, Boar's Head, Bar-S Foods and Johnsonville. Smithfield (other Smithfield brand portfolio) is listed as a broad incumbent. Kiolbassa is listed as an emerging player.
Does Eckrich have an API?
No public API is recorded for Eckrich.
What industry is Eckrich in?
Eckrich's product category is Smoked Sausage and Deli Meats. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFANAEAC, Sausage Manufacturing (Fresh, Cooked, Fermented, Emulsified), with a secondary code of AFANAEAG, Hot Dogs, Frankfurters & Bologna (Emulsified/Comminuted Meats). Its NAICS code is 3116 and its SIC code is 2013.