Our History

Over 50 years ago, we began more than a sausage company—we created a legacy that led to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, being known as the "Bratwurst Capital of the World." Sheboygan has always had a proud German heritage—people with a strong work ethic and a history of excellent sausage. Old Wisconsin is built on this foundation, and it can still be tasted today in our quality and slow, hand crafted approach to sausage making.

It All Started in 1942

Sheboygan was a natural place to start. The unique climate on the shores of Lake Michigan is perfect for sausage making. With that knowledge, Old Wisconsin began as Thielmann’s, a small sausage shop owned and operated by Frank Thielmann and William Stolzman. Even today, we still use many of their high-quality sausage recipes. Due to increased demand, we opened our first plant in 1953 and changed our name to Thielmann’s Old Wisconsin Sausage Company shortly after.

Reaching Our Full Potential

In 1976, the purchase of Sheboygan-based Rammer Sausage Company more than doubled our sausage production. Impressed by our quality, Carl Buddig, a family-owned meat processing company, purchased our company in 1981, expanding distribution and changing our name to Old Wisconsin Sausage Company. In 1996, we doubled our production again with a new state-of-the-art plant where we continue to make premium sausage. Today, our commitment to flavor and quality remains the cornerstone of our popularity at parties, on road trips and anywhere else you want Better Flavor, Naturally.