Usinger’s at 125
remains high quality, Old World

CLICK HERE for the KEY Usinger's Coupon!

REACHING the age of 125 currently is impossible for individuals and nearly impossible for organizations - especially family-owned corporations.

In Milwaukee, the Usinger family has beaten the odds and maintained the family tradition of sausage making that Frederick Usinger brought to the city in the 19th century from Wehen, Germany.

Led by Fritz and Debra Usinger, great-grandchildren of the company’s founder, Usinger’s continues to be based in the heart of downtown Milwaukee at 1030 N. Old World 3rd St. But the operation today is a far cry from Frederick Usinger’s operation in 1880 which involved making sausages during the night and selling them on the street the next day.

Today, Usinger’s ships its products and gift baskets all over the country, accepting orders by telephone, Fax, and the Internet, as well as over the counter. More than 70 different items, including all-beef salami, beerwurst and liver sausage, are made here, all using fresh ingredients and a special smoking procedure.

“Our niche is high quality, Old World, “ says Debra, who serves as vice president. “You’ll find our products in areas with specialty food stores or in parts of the country with strong European backgrounds.”

Debra and her brother, who serves as president, have kept their downtown showroom “like it was when our grandfather was here,” creating one of the most popular stops for both leisure and business travelers. “I’m glad my dad had a strong historical vision not to change anything,” says Debra. “We’ve always been very protective of it.

Marble countertops, tile floors and the smoking process are left over from their great grandfather. The company continues to produce its sausages in smaller batches in order to have more control, just as it continues to use two-story  “pit houses” which are rare in the industry, even in Germany.

In the early 1990s when the present headquarters building was new, famed German panorama artist George Peter was selected to decorate the plant with murals. Many of the murals survive, including ones that depict the history of the Usinger family as well as German folklore that elves made sausages in the dead of night.

While the name Usinger is rooted in Milwaukee history, the team of Fritz and Debra has spread the reputation aggressively.  In 2002, Usinger’s was chosen to supply the “official hot dog” at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.”

For residents of Milwaukee and visitors to the city, however, the turn of the century (19th) headquarters remains a step back to a time when sausage was made in the night and sold fresh the next day.

For additional details on this Milwaukee original or to order some of its products that you forgot to buy while in town, visit www.usingers.com.

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