When Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats in Wittenberg celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2023, a community event was held that attracted 8,000 people to the property that houses Nueske’s retail store. Since the village of Wittenberg has a population of just under 1,000 people, you could say it was more than a “community” event.

“We love being part of the community and we want other people to feel a part of it too,” said Tanya Nueske, CEO and President of Nueske’s. “It was important to us to have an all-inclusive, family friendly event. Everything we did that day was very family focused.”

The event was held on Sept. 16, 2023. The festivities began at 7:30 a.m. with a pancake breakfast and culminated with fireworks at dusk. There were food trucks on-site, old cars and tractors, helicopter rides, a ping pong ball drop for 3,500 prizes, axe throwing, chainsaw carving, camel rides, a mobile escape room, petting zoo, old-time photography, and pig, duck and goat races.  

There is plenty of history behind Nueske’s reaching its 90th anniversary, and Nueske said the community is an important part of that history.

“The community has always supported our family and the business, and we do the same back,” Nueske said. “It feels good to be a part of this and hopefully people want to come and be a part of it too.”

Nueske’s History

The history of Nueske’s began in the 1880s when Tanya Nueske’s great great grandfather’s family settled in the area to farm. The family also began curing and smoking meats, which was common growing up in Europe. The tradition of curing and smoking meats was carried from generation to generation. In 1933, Nueske’s grandpa, Robert, started the meat company.

“He knew he had a constant supply (of meat) from his two brothers, who had hog and dairy farms (in the area),” Nueske said. “That’s really how he started it. He spent a lot of time going up north and delivering up there because people really loved smoked meat. He built his first refrigerated box and put it on the back of a pick-up. If you drive in downtown Wittenberg, you can see it in the old Ford garage. That was hand-built.”

After Robert married, he and his wife bought a home and built a meat plant – attached to their home. In 1975, Robert died, so Nueske’s father Bob and uncle Jim took over the business. A fire in 1976 led to the construction of a new building at it’s current location near state highways 29 and 45.

“We went from being state inspected to USDA inspected, which allowed us to sell over state lines,” Nueske said. “The business continued to grow under their leadership and we needed to put on an addition due to increasing demand. I think we did that first addition around 2006. My uncle Jim passed away in 2009 and my dad passed away in 2015. We did another addition in 2017.”

In 1996, the company bought an existing building in Wittenberg because it was growing and needed more space. That building turned into the distribution center for mail order and the main office, which it still is today.

Nueske said she hasn’t always worked for the company.

“I moved away and I came back in 1991, so it’s been 32 years,” Nueske said.

Nueske’s Products

Nueske’s offers a variety of smoked meats, but Nueske said, “Bacon made us famous.”

Other smoked meats offered by Nueske’s include chicken, duck, turkey, sausage, pork loins, and beef.

“Everything, pretty much, is all very old fashioned,” she said. “We have single truck smoke houses, which is very small batches. One rack goes in at a time. Most everything is in there for a full day.”

She added that the entire process takes about one week.

Nueske’s has around 80 distributors that it sells its products to.

Carl Rambo, chief sales officer for Nueske’s, said its distributors sell Nueske’s products to end-users, including overseas.

Nueske said she doesn’t know where Nueske’s ranks in the smoked meats industry.

“It’s always been our vision to be the best, not the biggest,” Nueske said. “We are that small-time butcher shop kind of product that can give it to you consistently. Quality is out of this world. That’s what makes us unique.”

Rambo added, “That’s (market share) the last thing on our mind. It really is to maintain the recipes, the quality, and customer service. The other thing is we are unique. What’s really made us unique is that there are very few people in the country that can do it the old school way, and the way that we do it, and still get it to all 50 states. We’re still single shift, so you look at the operation, it’s really unique to see that.”

Nueske’s has around 200 fulltime and part-time employees. The number grows each year with seasonal help for the holiday season.

“I think we have the best people who make the finest smoked meats, and part of who we are is time, patience, consistency, quality in everything we do. And everyone has a say in it," Nueske said. “And we have loyal customers who appreciate flavor on the plate. That’s really what we do. We have the best people making products that put flavor on everyone’s plate.”

As Nueske’s continues into the future, customers shouldn’t expect much to change.

“We want to stay true to who we are – our brand, how we take care of people, how we smoke our products, what we stand for, staying consistent, having quality at the top – that’s not going to change,” Nueske said. “And we want to be the best, not the biggest.”