Jack Link's
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food manufacturing |
| Founded | Minong, Wisconsin, United States (1986) |
| Founder | John 'Jack' Link |
| Headquarters | Minong, Wisconsin, United States of America |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Template:Ublist |
| Products | Template:Ublist |
| Website | Template:Ublist |
Link Snacks, Inc., operating under the brand names Jack Link's Protein Snacks and Jack Link's, is a U.S.-based snack manufacturer established in 1986 by businessman John 'Jack' Link. The enterprise draws inspiration from recipes developed by the founder's great-grandfather, Chris Link, who was a skilled German sausage craftsman. Jack Link's is best known for its leading beef jerky product line and its unique "Messin' with Sasquatch" promotional campaign.
The company's main office is located in Minong, Wisconsin, with several manufacturing sites situated throughout the Midwest region, including facilities in New Glarus, Wisconsin; Alpena, South Dakota; Mankato, Minnesota; as well as Laurens and Underwood in Iowa. Its marketing operations are headquartered in Minneapolis.
To strengthen its international presence and increase its foothold in the European market, Jack Link's acquired Unilever's meat snack segment on April 1, 2014. This transaction encompassed the BiFi brand across Europe, the Peperami brand targeting the UK and Ireland markets (also distributed in Mexico), and a production plant based in Ansbach, Germany.
Beyond its core beef jerky offerings, Jack Link's product range includes bacon jerky crafted from pork cured with salt and sugar. Continuing its expansion and diversification initiatives, the company purchased the Golden Island brand from Tyson Foods in 2019.
These strategic acquisitions and growth efforts highlight Jack Link's dedication to enhancing its competitive position and expanding its reach within the global meat snack sector.
Advertising
In 2013, Jack Link's entered into a sponsorship agreement with the Seattle Mariners. The company refreshed its logo in April 2015 to align more closely with its Feed Your Wild Side brand identity; this redesign was developed by Davis Design based in Mississauga, Ontario. The "Messin' with Sasquatch" campaign saw increased exposure in 2017 through collaboration with NBA athlete Karl-Anthony Towns. Additionally, Jack Link's engages nutrition expert Christina Meyer-Jax to emphasize protein’s nutritional benefits within its promotional materials.
Controversy
In December 2021, a group of six European supermarket chains—including those under Ahold Delhaize and Carrefour—halted sales of certain Brazilian beef products amid concerns over deforestation of the Amazon rainforest linked to cattle farming practices. Both JBS, the largest global meat processor, and Jack Link's obtain cattle from Brazil, which has led to heightened examination of their sourcing policies.