Burke Corporation
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded | 1957 in Ames, Iowa, United States |
| Founder | Bill Burke, Sr. (acquired in 1967) |
| Headquarters | Nevada , United States |
Key people | Chad Randick (president since 2015) |
| Products | Fully cooked meat products, pizza toppings, cured meats, sausage, meatballs, custom meat formulations |
Number of employees | 350 (2019) |
| Parent | Hormel Foods |
Burke Corporation specializes in producing fully cooked meat items and pizza toppings tailored for the restaurant, foodservice, and prepared foods sectors. The company also provides customized product development for private foodservice brands, catering to more than 1,600 commercial clients. Its main office is located in Nevada, Iowa.
History
Originally established in Ames, Iowa in 1957 under the name Pronto Foods, which focused on frozen pizzas, Bill Burke, Sr. joined as operations manager in 1964 and acquired the business in 1967. By 1974, the company divested its frozen pizza division and redirected its efforts toward meat-based pizza toppings, rebranding as Burke Marketing Corporation.
The manufacturing operations were relocated to Nevada, Iowa in 1984. In 1991, Bill Burke, Sr. handed over the presidency to his son, Bill Burke, Jr. Subsequent facility enhancements in 2002 and 2004 introduced an automated cleanroom and expanded both production and freezing capabilities.
Hormel Foods took ownership of Burke Corporation in August 2007. The Ames plant was shut down in 2011 to streamline operations at the Nevada location. Bill Burke, Jr. stepped down from his role in 2012, with Chad Randick assuming the presidency in 2015.
As of 2019, the company’s workforce numbers approximately 350 employees.
Products
Burke Corporation manufactures a variety of fully cooked meat products such as meat pizza toppings, cured meats, sausage, and meatballs. Additionally, it develops custom meat formulations for manufacturers of prepared foods.
Its products are distributed nationwide under the Burke and Swiss American labels as well as through private label agreements via both broad-line and specialty distributors. The company offers both standard recipes and tailor-made formulations to meet customer requirements.
Burke’s cooked meat products are also exported internationally, including Canada where Chase Global Foods acts as the representative distributor.