Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/633837
26 | I NSIGH T • F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 6 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m "I think there are a lot of uses that would surprise people," says Al Sass, vice president of operations for Berlin-based Wisconsin Spice. "It's a functional ingredient that is used for a lot of properties other than its flavor." It's not always yellow and it's not just for your bratwurst. In addition to a world of varieties as a condiment, mustard — whether in paste, flour, husks or prepared varieties — is used in everything from mayonnaise and glazes to barbecue sauce and soups. Helping food producers meet that demand is Wisconsin Spice. In 2015, the company processed about 40 million pounds of mustard seed into ingredients and prepared mustard for the food industry. With about $36 million in gross sales, the company employs nearly 75 full-time employees and ships products to more than 25 countries. Like the seed itself, Wisconsin Spice grew from a small opportunity. First planting I t was a mustard shortage that launched Wisconsin Spice on the path to industry mega-supplier. In 1973, a deal to supply American wheat to Russia actually sparked food and commodity shortages as farmers shied their crop production. As harvest projections declined, prices escalated and suppliers struggled to maintain inventories. It was around that time that Phil Sass, the founder of Wisconsin Spice, received a telephone call from a friend in the industry asking for help. e elder Sass, a former quality control manager for Hot Stuff c o n t i n u e d R.T. French — known today as French's Foods — realized this call for help was more than a one-time opportunity. Phil Sass was working out of Oconto at the time, and his wife was in school at UW-Eau Claire. He saw the demand from the sausage industry and began looking for a facility where he could produce milled mustard seed. An interesting quirk of fate would result in a new company and family home in Berlin. "It's the only place he could find a building to do what he wanted to do," Al Sass says of his father's decision to launch in Berlin. "It's close enough to both the supply in Canada and customers." e building in question was an abandoned feed mill from the 1800s. At first, the company, with a second-hand stone grinding mill, milled mustard seed into mustard flower. Soon, additional capabilities were added, including the ability to mill prepared mustards, allowing the company to compete with industry players such as French's. Rapid growth and expanded quarters followed. By 1985, the company had outgrown the old feed mill (it no longer exists) and moved into a state-of-the art production facility in Berlin's industrial park. In 2015, the company completed the latest in a series of expansions — its 10th — adding both space — it is up to 130,000 square feet — and new technical capabilities, including being one of the only manufacturers that can produce both dry and prepared mustard solutions in the same facility. "We certainly have grown a lot," says Tim Gross, director of employee development and a 15-year veteran of the company. "For all the changes, we've always had stable leadership." For all the success, Wisconsin Spice is hardly a household name. "We are a supplier to many of the food producers out there, if not directly, then indirectly through other producers who use our mustard as an ingredient," Al Sass says. "We cut across the industry in a lot of ways." Don't let the low profile fool you — food producers know the company quite well. The food chain N early three-quarters of Wisconsin Spice's annual sales are in the category of industrial ingredients. ese represent food producers who use mustard in their product, which in turn may be sold retail or used by another company to create additional products. For example, a company that produces light mayonnaise uses Wisconsin Spice's mustard to create its product for restaurants. With the heat and flavor removed, the properties of the mustard allow it to replace ingredients with "People would be amazed at everything it goes into. We are in the meat industry, in sauces; I think we are in just about everything ." — Jay Rozmar ynosk i, operations general manager