In 1923, preserving foods by pickling them was how an early-refrigeration world made things last. Bay View Packing, which produces a range of pickled products, knows a bit about making things last — the company is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
The company's original products — including pickles, sauerkraut, herring and pigs’ feet — were considered staples back then, not the delicacies they are today, because they kept well. Today, of the original products, only the herring remains in the Bay View product line, along with three types of pickled eggs, and pickled sausages, pork hocks, bologna and turkey gizzards. Metal Surface Pickling Treatment
In the beginning, the company’s products were more vegetable oriented, according to president and owner Reinhard Liebner, and pickling was important.
“Refrigeration was relatively new, and so canning and preserving were a big part of people's lives back then. I don't really think people can appreciate today how spoiled we are with all the refrigeration and freezers,” he said.
While much has changed with food science and modern conveniences, other things — such as the herring recipe and pickling process — has stayed relatively consistent at Bay View.
Another thing that has remained consistent: having a Liebner at the helm. Reinhard began going to work with his dad, Byron, when he was 6.
The company was founded by three brothers, William, Walter and Bruno Liebner. Byron, Bruno’s son, eventually took over the company. Reinhard came to work at the company full time in 1986 and became president in 1990.
A few things have changed at Bay View Packing, which is actually in the Menomonee Valley. Certainly the product line has evolved.
“I think pig's feet is one example of something that we don't do anymore that was once a pretty big staple in a lot of people's diets, especially in the German and Polish communities. But that has tapered off over the years.
“We stopped doing it just because they were very labor intensive and, to me, there wasn't a lot of bang for the buck there. The price of pigs' feet — they used to be a cheap item — kept going up and up and up, and I could give more people more value with our pork hocks,” he said.
“There were other products that we took shots at for a while, for example, pickled chicken drumsticks, vegetable medleys and turkey hearts. We do turkey gizzards now, which have done fairly well for us over the years.”
Until 2017, everything at Bay View was done by hand. Some things remain hand-processed, but there’s also an automation line. The line has allowed the company’s volumes to increase, so that they can do private label products for other companies, as well.
“It has really significantly allowed us to upgrade our volume of products we were doing on a nationwide basis and focus more on the items that were easier to do on the automation line, such as our pickled sausage and pickled eggs,” Reinhard said. “In the last three to four years, we’ve done a lot of pickled sausage now for different companies and our own label.”
The last year or so has also come with challenges linked to the avian flu and resulting egg shortages.
“Yeah, it's been hard. We do have regular suppliers we work with, so they have, you know, been good about keeping us in product, but you know the price has been really, really tough,” he said.
The company went through a similar situation in 2015 with the bird flu, but it lasted for only about six months.
“This time, the situation, it's kind of just hanging around — it was with us all last year. We never really changed my prices last year in hopes that it was going to readjust. But at the end of the year we finally had to make a decision to raise our price because we had been paying prices that were three to four times higher than normal, so it has been difficult.”
Reinhard is not going through these ups and downs alone. The challenges and triumphs at Bay View are shared with a new generation.
Today, Reinhard, 58, who is semi-retired, works with his three sons. Bradley, 36, is in charge of maintenance and sanitation; Eric, 32, works production and shipping; and Andrew, 28, is vice president and in charge of overall operations, sales and marketing and office-related functions.
They are also dealing with a new generation of customers. Local bars and small taverns used to be a mainstay, but most of their products are now sold through grocery and farm-and-ranch stores now.
“Pickled eggs are still a big thing if you go up north. But most taverns in more populated areas now are selling frozen pizzas, or they have a grill,” Reinhard said.
Despite the changes, Reinhard said, the business is going strong.
“That's what surprised me the most — that has had the staying power. And we've seen our business increase. One reason is that a lot of our competitors have gotten out of the business. So, there's not as many people out there doing this anymore. We kind of have the market to ourselves.”
Reaching the 100-year mark is a point of pride.
“We're family oriented, so we are willing to go the extra mile and put the time in that it takes to be successful. And we've had great people to work with over the years who have contributed to that spirit.”
Citing increasing regulations, Bay View Packing announced on its website that it plans to close its outlet store April 7.
Until that time, the store 906 W. St. Paul Ave., is open 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Shelves that were once loaded now hold fewer products, ranging from herring in wine sauce to pickled asparagus and Bloody Mary mix.
Closed Pickling Lines Bay View's items still can be found in a range of area stores, from specialty shops such as Bunzel's Meat Market, to larger spots including Menard's and Festival Foods. A full list can be found on the website, bayviewpacking.com/our-factory-outlet-store.