The bulk of my research for this section is from the internet and a booklet produced by the Newcomen Society in 1992 entitled “Jordan’s Meats: A Thriving Business in its Third Generation…Built Primarily on Hot Dogs.
It was in
this booklet that I discovered that there was numerous small sausage making company’s
through-out the state that either went out of business or were acquired by
larger companies and as you will read almost all of them were bought out by the
same company.
I’ve
included what I like to think are the major players and those that remain in production
today. In the first section you will
learn the reason why we have red natural casing hot dogs in Maine. During the course of my research I asked
current manufactures Old Neighborhood, Kayem, and W.A. Bean & Sons Meats
and none of them new why but they all had their guesses.
Schonland
Brothers
Charles and
Richard Schonland Brothers started Schonland Brothers in 1891 on Fore Street
and later moved to Union St in 1895.
They originated the Red Natural Casing Hot Dogs to differentiate their
product from the competition.
In 1935 Joseph Jordan purchased Schonland Brothers and the Schonland Brothers Brand continued as a separate product line until 1943 when the WWII meat shortage forced operations to be merged.
Not to be
confused with their father’s company Schonland’s Franks and Sausages that was
opened in 1883 in Lawrence, Massachusetts and sold to Kayem Foods Incorporated
in 1987. Kayem continues to produce
natural casing hot dogs with the Schonland original recipe.
For more information about Schonland's Franks and Sausages follow this link to Cow Hampshire.
For more information about Schonland's Franks and Sausages follow this link to Cow Hampshire.
Jordan’s
Meats
Jordan’s Meats founded by Joseph F. Jordan in Portland, Maine
Joseph started working for the Schonland Brothers as a sausage maker in 1919 and in 1925 he and Max Ruelke opened a sausage plant at 131 – 133 Commercial St Portland the Jordan & Ruelke Company. The company failed after only a year.
In 1927 Joseph and his wife Emma opened Jordan’s Ready-To-Eat-Meats. Business thrived to the point where in 1935 they purchased the Schonland Brothers. The Schonland Brothers Brand continued as a separate product line until 1943 when the WWII meat shortage forced operations to be merged. Jordan’s continued the Schonland tradition of producing the Red Hot Dog due to popular demand.
Also because of the war Sheep intestines, used as the natural casings for sausage products could not be imported from New Zealand and Australia so Jordan’s turned to making skinless hot dogs.
In 1949
Joseph F. Jordan passed away unexpectedly and his son at age 22 Joseph “Chet”
Jordan took over the company.
In 1962 Jordan’s Meats moved to their most modern facility on India Street in Portland also that same year they purchase hot dog competitor C.H. Rice Company of Bangor building them a new plant in Bangor and keeping the company running.
In June 1992
Jordan’s purchased long-time rival the Joseph Kirschner Company of Augusta and
Shultz Brand Products in New Hampshire.
Kirschner was maintained as a separate entity from Jordan’s.
Jordan’s along with the Kirchner brand were sold in to Tyson Foods in 2001.
The Jordan’s
Meat plant in Portland was closed on February 1, 2005 although Tyson continued
to produce the Jordan’s line of meats.
A press release dated May 20, 2008 stated that Kayem Foods Incorporated purchased Jordan’s, & Kirschner brands as well as several others from Tyson Foods and continue to manufacture Jordan’s Meats brand.
On May 6, 2010 during remodeling of the old plant it caught fire and was destroyed.
Joseph Kirschner opened his first meat market and sausage shop on Cony Hill in Augusta in 1916 and moved it to Water Street in 1917.
In June 1992 The Joseph Kirschner Company purchased long-time rival Jordan’s Meats in Portland who continued the brand as a separate entity. The Kirschner brand was then sold to Tyson Foods in February 2001.
A press release dated May 20, 2008 stated that Kayem Foods Incorporated purchased Jordan’s, & Kirschner brands as well as several others from Tyson Foods and continue to manufacture Jordan’s Meats brand.
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