Meat + Poultry - February 2016 - 43

Buffalo-based Sahlen Packing aims to increase sales by
pushing its popular and upscale frankfurter line outside
of western New York
BY L AW R E N C E AY LWA R D | m e a t p o u l t r y @ s o s l a n d.c o m

O

n occasion a train chugs by the plant
and offices of Sahlen Packing Co.
in Buffalo, NY. Joseph E. Sahlen,
president of the family-owned company,
says the train represents a metaphor for the
company's 147-year-old business.
Sahlen Packing, founded in 1869, is renown
in western New York for its hot dogs, sausage,
hams and deli meats. There are many reasons
for the company's longevity, but the company's
sales have been flat the last several years.
"We've been spinning our wheels for quite a
while," Sahlen says.
But what Sahlen has noticed about the
train is something that sets it apart from the
company's business. The train gains speed as it
passes by, and its increased intensity is not lost
upon Sahlen.
"It takes a lot of energy to get that train
moving," Sahlen says. "We need to increase our
energy to increase the speed of our own train."
Of all its products, it's Sahlen Packing's hot
dog line that has most defined the company's
positive reputation in western New York. The
company's hot dogs are viewed as upscale and
are the go-to-brand in the area. It is the hot dog
line that Sahlen is counting on to get sales back
on track.
If Sahlen is the conductor of the Sahlen
Packing train, then Mark Battistoni, the
company's vice president of sales and
marketing, is the engineer. The 55-year-old
Battistoni, a veteran of the meat business,
assumed his current position about 18 months
ago. He brings the energy that Sahlen is looking
for to get the business humming.
Battistoni and Sahlen believe the company
can grow its business by focusing on hot dog

sales outside of western New York.
"I believe there is opportunity," Battistoni
says. "We believe the national hot dog category
is in need of higher quality product."

RIDING WITH QUALITY
The old neighborhood on the east side of
Buffalo where Sahlen Packing is located was
formerly a hotbed for meatpacking. But times
have changed - Sahlen Packing is one of a
few companies still in business, and Sahlen
represents the fourth generation.
Sahlen's great-grandfather began the
business, which was passed on to Sahlen's
grandfather and father. Sahlen took over as
president of the business in 1980 when he was
27. "It is what I always wanted to do," he says.
Sahlen Packing has processed hot dogs for
about 100 years. The company's Smokehouse
brand, processed in natural and collagen
casings and a skinless variety, has been a
mainstay at retail and foodservice for decades.
It's not uncommon for Buffalo-area restaurants
that serve them to tout the Sahlen Packing
name on their menus.
Sahlen and Battistoni attribute the hot
dog's success to its flavor profile and, more
importantly, consistency. The hot dogs are
made with 80 percent pork trim and a small
amount of beef. There is no filler.
Sahlen Packing's sales are about $45 million
annually, but the company just can't seem to
squeeze any more growth out of the western
New York area. Sahlen says the business has
been looking for avenues to increase sales
for many years. In the 1980s, Sahlen says the
company attempted to extend its hot dog
brand to other states. But an increase in sales

"In certain
markets,
consumers
do look at
hot dogs as a
being a dime a
dozen. That's
why we want
to gravitate to
where Sahlen
Packing
could have a
presence."
- MARK BATTISTONI

Joseph E. Sahlen:
"You have to have goals
that are attainable."

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