Posted: 04.07.2010

On May 13 the Wisconsin’s meat industry will honor a legend in major  
league baseball and two business leaders who are carrying on  
traditions started by their grandfathers. On that date the Wisconsin  
Meat Industry Hall of Fame will induct baseball announcer and actor  
Bob Uecker, Dennis Vignieri of Kenosha Beef International/Birchwood  
Foods and Russ Wenzel of Wenzel Farm Sausages.

Although Uecker has never made sausage or worked in a meat plant, he  
has been a master at promoting meat during his many years of play-by- 
play coverage of Milwaukee Brewers baseball. He often talks about meat  
as a tasty, nutritious food during his commentary, urging his  
listeners to set up the grill for hamburgers at a tailgate party or  
bring pork chops to a picnic, all without missing a single play on the  
field. Uecker is also a spokesman for Usinger’s sausage company.

Vignieri upholds standards that have guided Kenosha Beef International/ 
Birchwood Foods since his grandfather started the firm seven decades  
ago. He has been with the company for over 30 years, currently serving  
as president and CEO. Under his leadership, Birchwood Foods has  
expanded to produce a variety of products ranging from conventional  
frozen patties to fully cooked beef, pork and poultry products at  
plants in Georgia, Indiana and Ohio as well as Kenosha. Vignieri ‘s  
approach to creating quality products is reflected in Birchwood’s  
state-of-the-art Culinary Café; a research and development facility  
blending culinary skills, food science and process engineering. He  
also serves as Vice-Chairman on the Executive Committee for the  
American Meat Institute.

Wenzel got his start skinning hot dogs and packaging fresh bratwurst  
at his family’s Marshfield operation during summers in high school and  
has since done virtually every job at the company. He now serves as  
president. Under his leadership the firm has continued to grow and is  
celebrating its 59th year of operation.  Today, it makes more than 30  
products under its own name and manufactures custom sausage for four  
other brand names. Wenzel has served on the board of the Wisconsin  
Association of Meat Processors and was President for the past two  
years.  This activity led to his involvement at the national level,  
including serving as president of the American Association of Meat  
Processors.

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