Company Background

In 1978 the Hamm family of rural Mauston built a meat processing plant to accommodate local livestock producers and sell products using their time tested family recipes. In 1989 the business was sold while operating at full capacity, and the Hamm family set its sites on building a new processing plant. A partner agreement was formed between John D. Hamm, his wife Diane, and former employee David A. Mauer.

John and David founded Wisconsin River Brands, Inc. in 1992. In 1993 a 2,040 square foot processing plant was built. There have been subsequent additions in '93, '94, '96 and 2000. Now the plant is over 8,000 square feet and is equipped with the latest in meat processing technology. We have 15 full time year-round employees and grow to 30 full time employees during Holidays and the wild game season.

Our mission now is "to produce quality, safe, and fun food products; and to market them effectively so you can enjoy them!"

Wisconsin River Meats is located in the beautiful Wisconsin River valley, near Castle Rock Lake, in rural Mauston. Specialties include manufacturing of wholesale fresh and smoked meats, custom processing, catering to special events and wild game processing. Wisconsin River Meats serves retail, custom processing and wholesale customers throughout Wisconsin and now with our new web site can serve customers throughout the continental United States.

Meat Specialties

Wisconsin River Meats is most well known for its fine sausage and smoked meats, particularly our Landjaeger sausage. Other popular varieties are Ham, Bacon, Jerky, Bratwurst, Summer Sausage, Natural Casing Wieners and Ring Bologna along with other specialty sausages. We also offer a fine selection of fresh meats including Wisconsin Angus beef, pork, chicken and buffalo. Our rib-eye steak and boneless pork chops are big hits along with our famous marinated chicken breasts.

Wisconsin River Meats custom processes beef, pork and other species for farmers and livestock producers throughout Wisconsin. Sportsmen throughout Wisconsin and the upper Midwest also recognize Wisconsin River Meats as one of the leading game processors in the State. Last year we processed over 2100 deer and made over 150,000 pounds of venison sausage. We also process elk, moose, caribou, antelope, and bear for sportsmen, and we've smoked many wild turkey, salmon and trout.

Credentials

Vice President David Mauer has over 15 years meat industry experience and worked for Hamm’s Meat Service and Coloma Meats and Provisions in manufacturing and sales. President John D. Hamm has over 25 years meat industry experience. John worked for Coloma Meats and Provisions, and also was the former owner of Hamm’s Meat Service. John is a U.S. Marine Corp veteran and a graduate of the "all around butcher" course at Southwest Wisconsin Vo-Tech in Fennimore Wisconsin. Secretary and Treasurer Diane Hamm is the financial genius behind the business and John’s wife. She is also a former owner of Hamm’s Meat Service. In addition to her duties at Wisconsin River Meats, she is business office manager at Hess Memorial Hospital in Mauston, Wisconsin.

Community Involvement

One of our goals is to be involved in the community and the nation. Wisconsin River Meats belongs to many organizations.

National Federation of Independent Business
Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors
American Association of Meat Processors
Mauston Area Chamber of Commerce
Castle Rock Petenwell Lakes Association
Mauston FFA Alumni
Juneau County Agricultural Society
Mauston Wrestling Club
New Lisbon Wrestling Club
Outdoors Forever
Whitetails Unlimited
North American Shed Hunters Club
Ducks Unlimited
National Wild Turkey Federation- Lemonweir Longbeards
Hunters Against Hunger
National Rifle Association
Juneau County Republican Party
Mauston Area Economic Development Corporation

John is Juneau County Board Supervisor for District 18.

Wisconsin River Meats is not a "dot com" company. We are an established production firm, expanding into Internet based marketing.

Treating customers as friends, and having the highest quality products and services, are our goals. We look forward not only to serving you, but to building a relationship of offering the highest quality food products right to your door.