Hirzel Canning Company & Farms

Hirzel Canning Company & Farms is an American, family-run food products company headquartered in Northwood, Ohio. The business combines agricultural production with food processing and is associated primarily with two brands: Dei Fratelli, a line of tomato products, and Silver Fleece, a sauerkraut brand. Its products serve retail consumers as well as food-service, institutional, and industrial customers. The company traces its origins to Carl R. Hirzel, a Swiss immigrant who initially came to the United States with his wife, Lena, intending to work as a brewer. After the introduction of Prohibition made brewing commercially impractical, the couple relocated to the Toledo area, where Carl acquired what became Hirzel Farms. He began cultivating and selling cabbage, and a large cabbage harvest in 1923 led him to produce sauerkraut. The fermentation process was familiar to him from brewing, and the early sauerkraut was sold under the Star Cross name. Hirzel Farms later expanded into tomato cultivation. The farm harvested its first tomato crop in 1924, establishing the agricultural foundation for the company's later tomato-processing business. In 1947, the Hirzel Canning Company was incorporated, with Carl's son, Karl A. Hirzel, serving as president and Karl's wife, Rosalie, as secretary. The company expanded its manufacturing footprint through the purchase of a plant in Pemberville, Ohio, in 1954 and the addition of a third plant in Ottawa, Ohio, in 1982. The Dei Fratelli brand was established in 1980 and became a central part of the company's tomato business. Hirzel states that much of the tomato supply used by Dei Fratelli comes from farms in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, linking the consumer brand to the company's regional agricultural operations. Silver Fleece continues the company's sauerkraut tradition. Hirzel's packaging capabilities extend beyond standard retail cans. The company supplies retail-sized cans, food-service cans, industrial drums, and totes, and it serves industrial, institutional, food-service, and retail buyers. For some large customers, it uses reusable transport packaging intended to lower logistical costs and reduce the environmental impact of industrial packaging. Hirzel Farms is described as operating under a sustainability model emphasizing environmental and social responsibilities. The business remains family operated, with fourth-generation members involved in leadership. Stephen A. Hirzel, the son of Karl A. Hirzel Jr., is identified as president of Hirzel Canning Company, while Lou Kozma Jr. is identified as general manager of Hirzel Farms. The company's current identity is therefore built around regional agriculture, vertically connected food processing, long-established family ownership, and branded tomato and sauerkraut products.

Hirzel Canning Company & Farms developed from the agricultural and food-making activities of Carl R. Hirzel, a Swiss immigrant who moved to the United States with his wife, Lena. Carl initially intended to work in brewing, but Prohibition, which began nationally in 1920, disrupted that plan. The couple subsequently moved to the Toledo, Ohio, area to be nearer to Carl's brothers. Carl acquired land that became Hirzel Farms and began growing cabbage for sale. In 1923, a particularly abundant cabbage harvest encouraged him to process the crop into sauerkraut. The fermentation method was related to the brewing techniques with which he was familiar. The early sauerkraut was marketed under the Star Cross name, establishing the company's first branded food activity. The farm diversified into tomatoes soon afterward. Hirzel Farms harvested its first tomato crop in 1924, creating a foundation for the tomato-canning business that later became central to the company. The operation eventually moved from a small farm-based enterprise toward an incorporated food manufacturer. In 1947, Hirzel Canning Company was formally incorporated. Carl's son, Karl A. Hirzel, became president, and Karl's wife, Rosalie, served as secretary. The company expanded its processing capacity in the postwar period. It purchased a manufacturing plant in Pemberville, Ohio, in 1954 and added a third plant in Ottawa, Ohio, in 1982. These facilities supported the company's ability to process and package agricultural products at multiple scales. In 1980, the company established the Dei Fratelli brand, which became its principal tomato-product identity. The business also continued selling sauerkraut through the Silver Fleece brand. Much of the tomato supply used for Dei Fratelli products is grown in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, preserving a close relationship between the branded products and the surrounding agricultural region. Hirzel's later operating model broadened beyond consumer retail. The company developed packaging formats for retail, food-service, institutional, and industrial buyers, including retail cans, larger food-service cans, industrial drums, and totes. Reusable transport packaging has been used for some larger customers to improve logistics and support sustainability objectives. Hirzel Farms is described as following a sustainability model that incorporates environmental and social responsibilities. The overall business remains family run, with fourth-generation family members participating in leadership. Stephen A. Hirzel, a descendant of Karl A. Hirzel Jr., serves as president of Hirzel Canning Company, and Lou Kozma Jr. is identified as general manager of Hirzel Farms. The company's history therefore reflects a continuous progression from cabbage farming and sauerkraut production to vertically connected farming, tomato processing, branded packaged foods, and industrial food supply.

• 1982

  Ottawa plant added

  [1]Hirzel Canning Company & Farmsen.wikipedia.org

  The company expanded to a third plant in Ottawa, Ohio.

• 1980

  Dei Fratelli brand established

  [1]Hirzel Canning Company & Farmsen.wikipedia.org

  The company founded the Dei Fratelli brand, which became its primary tomato-product brand.

• 1954

  Pemberville plant acquired

  [1]Hirzel Canning Company & Farmsen.wikipedia.org

  Hirzel purchased a processing plant in Pemberville, Ohio, expanding its manufacturing capacity.

• 1947

  Hirzel Canning Company is incorporated

  [1]Hirzel Canning Company & Farmsen.wikipedia.org

  The company was incorporated with Karl A. Hirzel as president and Rosalie Hirzel as secretary.

• 1924

  First Hirzel Farms tomato crop

  [1]Hirzel Canning Company & Farmsen.wikipedia.org

  The farm harvested its first tomato crop, laying the agricultural groundwork for the company's later tomato-processing business.

• 1923

  Hirzel Farms begins sauerkraut production

  [1]Hirzel Canning Company & Farmsen.wikipedia.org

  A large cabbage harvest led Carl R. Hirzel to begin producing sauerkraut, initially marketed under the Star Cross name.

• 1920

  Prohibition disrupts the founder's brewing plans

  [1]Hirzel Canning Company & Farmsen.wikipedia.org

  National Prohibition prevented Carl R. Hirzel from continuing with his intended brewing career and preceded his move into farming and food processing in Ohio.

A family-owned regional food manufacturer combining Midwest farm production with branded and contract-oriented processing for retail, food-service, institutional, and industrial customers.

• Tomato products · 1980

  Dei Fratelli

  Dei Fratelli is Hirzel Canning Company's tomato-focused brand, established in 1980. It represents the company's principal branded tomato business and is supplied in part by tomatoes grown in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. The range is distributed in retail and larger food-service formats, while the company also supports industrial customers with bulk packaging.

• Sauerkraut

  Silver Fleece

  Silver Fleece is Hirzel's sauerkraut brand and continues the company's original cabbage-processing tradition. Sauerkraut was the first major product developed by founder Carl R. Hirzel after he moved from brewing into agriculture and food processing. The brand serves packaged-food markets alongside Hirzel's tomato products.

• 1982

  Expand to a third processing plantStrategy

  Background

  The company's growing food-processing operations required additional manufacturing capacity after the earlier acquisition of the Pemberville plant.

  Action taken

  Hirzel expanded to a third plant in Ottawa, Ohio.

  Aftermath

  The expansion increased the company's plant network and supported its broader branded, food-service, institutional, and industrial packaging activities.

  Source

• 1980

  Create the Dei Fratelli tomato brandStrategy

  Background

  Hirzel had developed tomato farming and processing after establishing its cabbage and sauerkraut business. The company created a dedicated branded identity for its tomato products.

  Action taken

  Hirzel established Dei Fratelli as a tomato-products brand.

  Aftermath

  Dei Fratelli became one of the company's two principal consumer-facing brands, alongside Silver Fleece sauerkraut.

  Source

1. 1Hirzel Canning Company & Farmsen.wikipedia.org