Link Snacks, Inc., better known as Jack Link's Protein Snacks, or simply Jack Link's (and occasionally mistaken as "Jack's Link's"), is an American snack company best known as the producer and marketer of the eponymous brand of
beef jerky. It was founded by John 'Jack' Link in 1986, using the recipes of his great-grandfather, Chris Link, a master sausage maker from Germany. They are known for their "Messin' with
Sasquatch" ads.
In addition to their original facility in
Minong, Wisconsin, the company also has facilities across the
Midwest including in
New Glarus, Wisconsin;
Alpena, South Dakota;
Mankato, Minnesota;
Laurens, Iowa; and
Underwood, Iowa; and its marketing office in
Minneapolis.
On April 1, 2014, Jack Link's bought
Unilever's meat snack division in an attempt to expand its consumer base into Europe. The purchase includes the
BiFi brand, sold across Europe and
Peperami, which retails in the UK, Ireland and Mexico; and the manufacturing unit in
Ansbach, Germany.
In addition to traditional beef jerky, the company also manufactures
bacon jerky, made with salt-and-sugar cured
pork meat.
In 2019 Jack Links acquired the Golden Island brand from
Tyson Foods.
Advertising
In 2013, they signed a sponsorship deal with the
Seattle Mariners. In April 2015 Jack Link's Beef Jerky changed its logo "to better represent the brand’s 'Feed Your Wild Side' positioning and overall appeal." This new logo was designed by Davis Design of
Mississauga, Ontario.
In 2017, Jack Link's extended its "Messin' with Sasquatch" ad campaign to feature
NBA player
Karl-Anthony Towns. The company also employs a nutritionist, Christina Meyer-Jax, to explain the dietary value of protein as part of their marketing.
Controversy
In December 2021, six European supermarket chains, including two owned by the Dutch firm Ahold Delhaize and a Carrefour subsidiary, said they would stop selling some or all beef products from Brazil. The companies' decision was made due to suspected ties with the
clearing of segments of the Amazon rainforest for local cattle farming. The world's largest meatpacker JBS and Jack Link's each source cattle from Brazil.
References
External links
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Official Website AustraliaJack Links: Big growth in little Alpena
Brand name snack foods
Food and drink companies based in Wisconsin
1986 establishments in Wisconsin
Bigfoot in popular culture
American companies established in 1986
Food and drink companies established in 1986
Washburn County, Wisconsin
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