Columbus Craft Meats

Columbus Craft Meats (variously known as Columbus Salame, Columbus Sausage Company, and Columbus Foods, Inc.) is an American food processing company specializing in salami and other prepared delicatessen meats, founded in San Francisco in 1917.[2] Their current headquarters are in Hayward, California. Their products are sold at supermarkets locally and nationwide, including Costco, Safeway, Cost Plus and Trader Joe's.[3][4][5] Their artisanal products, including specialty salumi, have been praised by food critics.[6][7][8][9]

Columbus Craft Meats
TypePrivate
IndustryFood processing
Founded1917
FoundersPeter Domenici
Enrico Parducci
Headquarters
Hayward, California
Key people
Joe Ennen (CEO)[1]
ProductsSalami
OwnerHormel
Websitewww.columbuscraftmeats.com

History
Example of Salami made by Columbus Craft Meats

Italian immigrants Peter Domenici and Enrico Parducci founded what was then the San Francisco Sausage Company in 1969. The company moved their production facilities to South San Francisco in 1967. They introduced deli meats to their product line in 1974.[10] Albert Piccetti was president of the company for 40 years, and died in 1998.[11]

Columbus Salame hired Studio Hinrichs, in association with Pentagram, to revamp their company logo, emphasizing their Italian heritage, including use of the Bodoni typeface.[12][13][14]

On August 28, 2009, a leak at their South San Francisco facility sent 200 pounds of anhydrous ammonia into the air, sickening more than two dozen people. The company paid $850,000 in penalties, and agreed to facility upgrades to settle a lawsuit filed by San Mateo County.[15][16]

They opened a new $31 million processing facility in Hayward in 2011, replacing their former facility in South San Francisco, which had been devastated by a fire.[17][18]

Endeavor Capital, a private equity firm, acquired majority control of the company in 2006.[19] In 2012, the company was sold to another private equity firm, Arbor Investments.[20] On November 27, 2017 Austin, Minnesota based Hormel Foods purchased the company for $850 million.[21]

John Piccetti

Co-owner John Piccetti has coauthored a book, Salumi: Savory Recipes and Serving Ideas for Salame, Prosciutto, and More, with cookbook author Joyce Goldstein, Charcutier Francois Vecchio, and David Rosengarten.[22][23][24]

See also

Other historic San Francisco Bay Area salame brands:

References
  1. "Columbus Foods Announces New Chief Executive Officer". PerishableNews. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  2. "About Us: Authentic Salami: Premium-Quality Deli Meats from the Finest Whole Cuts of Turkey, Ham, Beef, and Chicken | Columbus Foods". Columbussalame.com. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  3. "Salami Retailers in San Francisco and Beyond | Columbus Foods". Columbussalame.com. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  4. "What's New: Tasting Columbus salames - SFGate". Articles.sfgate.com. 2011-07-31. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  5. Fabricant, Florence (2008-11-04). "Food Stuff - 2 Shops Specializing in Cured Meats". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  6. Schneider, Edward (2009-06-02). "The First Corn Dish of Summer - NYTimes.com". Dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  7. All Things Considered. "Chew On This: A Salumi Revival In San Francisco". NPR. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  8. Passy, Charles (2007-09-06). "Living: Accent section, lifestyle, entertainment, fashion, pets". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  9. "My Vagabond Kitchen: Saucisse Sèche: a love story". July 1, 2011.
  10. "Our History: San Francisco Salami and More since 1917 | Columbus Foods". Columbussalame.com. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  11. "Marketplace | PressDemocrat.com | The Press-Democrat | Santa Rosa, CA". Nl.newsbank.com. 1998-02-13. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  12. "The Work: Columbus Salame". Studio Hinrichs. Archived from the original on 2011-12-06. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  13. Pentagram Book Five: Fifty Case Histories in Architecture, Graphic and Industrial Design, Pentagram Design. Monacelli Press, 1999, ISBN 1580930034. pages 436-445
  14. "Columbus Salame at Pentagram studio website". Archived from the original on 2013-08-15. Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  15. "Columbus Salame to pay $850,000 for ammonia leak - SFGate". Articles.sfgate.com. 2011-01-12. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  16. "Salami plant ordered to fix problems, after ammonia leaks". California Watch. Archived from the original on 2010-12-30. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  17. "Two years after facility burned down, new salami plant opens in Hayward". Inside Bay Area. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  18. Jonathan Bloom (2011-07-21). "Columbus Salame opens new plant 2 years after fire". abc7news. ABC Inc., KGO-TV San Francisco. Archived from the original on 2011-09-12. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  19. "Bloomberg Politics - Bloomberg". Bloomberg.com.
  20. "Private equity deals: October 8, 2012". Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  21. Corporation, Hormel Foods. "Hormel Foods Announces Closing Of Acquisition Of Columbus Manufacturing Inc., Maker Of Columbus® Craft Meats". www.prnewswire.com.
  22. Salumi, John Piccetti and Francois Vecchio, with Joyce Goldstein, foreword by David Rosengarten. Chronicle Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8118-6424-4
  23. "Salumi $24.95". Chronicle Books. 2011-06-20. Archived from the original on 2012-06-07. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
  24. "From meat platter to a work of art - SFGate". Articles.sfgate.com. 2008-12-03. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
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