Our Story
From humble beginnings…
Much like our natural-wood-smoked beef jerky and meat sticks, Werner Gourmet Meat Snacks wasn’t made overnight.
In the early 80’s, Ken Werner wasn’t thinking about beef jerky. He was working in the wooded Coast Range of Tillamook County and building a name in reforestation. Things were going great. Then, a pivot. Enter: the spotted owl, the newest addition to the endangered species list in the late 80’s / early 90’s. An upheaval of a previously stable industry. Uncertainty. For a hard-working entrepreneur: sleepless nights and a shift in the routine.
With a growing family to provide for, Ken and Karla Werner decided to jump with both feet into the world of jerky in 1994. After countless rounds of recipe testing in the garage, they perfected their process and began distributing beef jerky from the family minivan up and down the north Oregon Coast. The Werner brand’s first customers were local shops and stores; people loved the savory taste and homemade feel of Ken and Karla’s beef jerky. Soon, the Werner brand was a local favorite.
The rest might feel like history, but we’re not quite finished.
As popularity grew for the Werner brand, Ken and Karla were faced with expansion pains. They quickly outgrew the family’s garage and moved operations to the heart of Tillamook city. They hired employees – some of whom were family – and introduced smoked meat sticks.
Then, in the early 2000’s Ken expanded his facility to include a separate section exclusively for packaging candy snacks. His thought: Why not provide customers with a one-stop shop and trusted brand to satisfy all their snack needs?
With each growth milestone, the Werner brand has remained uncompromising in a commitment to providing superior snack products. How? By maintaining a hands-on approach to the entire production process. Everything from processing raw materials, executing the recipes, cooking, smoking, packaging, warehousing and shipping is done from the Werner facility in Tillamook.
The Werner brand is built upon the persistent determination of its founders. And the family? They have been here for the entire journey. Today, each of Ken and Karla Werner’s four children hold positions within the company, along with several of Ken’s siblings and cousins. Working with family is a wild ride consisting of long days, real work, and yeah, maybe a little beef along the way. But for the Werners, it’s everything.
Today, the Werner brand continues to explore the path less traveled. After a successful refresh in 2019, the brand is once again redefining its journey with a new identity. Clean and simple, like the ingredients in Werner All-Natural Beef Jerky. Bold and bright, like the flavors in Werner Smoked Meat Sticks. Colorful with a hint of nostalgia, a nod to the brand’s roots and resiliency. Featuring a large “W” icon – a humble reminder of the journey from garage to 150,000 square foot facility – and an illustration of Tillamook’s Coast Range forest highlighting the brand’s adventurous spirit. A dark background contrasting with a light wordmark. Werner. Humble and proud. Familiar and innovative. More than a meat snack; fuel for a new frontier.
