Since its founding in 1949 on San Antonio’s west side, Kiolbassa Smoked Meats has quietly evolved from a small, local operation to a brand that is known and loved across much of the country. This year, Kiolbassa is celebrating its 70th anniversary with the opening of a new production line that will allow Kiolbassa to continue to grow and evolve. On Wednesday, April 17 the company joined with family, friends and community leaders to celebrate these milestones with food, entertainment and a ribbon cutting ceremony.

While much has changed over the past 70 years, Kiolbassa is laser focused on making sure some things always remain the same. One of those things is the company’s commitment to an authentic craft process.

“Here at Kiolbassa, we make all of our products the old-fashioned way,” says Michael Kiolbassa, president and third generation Kiolbassa family member. “That means remaining true to the way my grandfather made sausage when he started our company seven decades ago – in small batches, always using premium cuts of beef and pork and the freshest ingredients. With our new line we can produce a lot more sausage, but we’re still doing it 150 lbs. at a time.”

Another thing that Kiolbassa is loyal to is the company’s longtime home on San Antonio’s west side. When the company selected a location for a second facility several years ago, Michael Kiolbassa was adamant that the new facility be located in the same area of the city.

“We wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of our community, specifically here on the west side,” Kiolbassa adds. “We are incredibly grateful for our San Antonio home and grateful that we are able to help fuel the local economy via the addition of this new production line.”

When at full capacity, the new production line will create an additional 30 jobs for the company. This builds on the substantial growth the company has seen over the past five years. In fact, between 2014 and 2018 the headcount at Kiolbassa has nearly doubled.

“Thirty years ago, you could only find Kiolbassa in a few H-E-B stores here in town. Now, we are fortunate to be carried in H-E-B stores across Texas as well as other stores across the United States and even in Mexico,” says Kiolbassa. “We are passionate about preserving the art of handcrafted smoked meats.”

Source: Kiolbassa Smoked Meats