Trig’s Smokehouse opened its doors wide on Tuesday, Dec. 11, to welcome the public to an open house. At the event, which drew an estimated 200 people, those attending had the chance to tour the new facility at 1607 North Stevens Street.

During the tour, it became apparent that the company invested significantly in the spotless new facility, which is indeed state-of-the-art. Much of the new equipment in the smokehouse was made in Germany and has vastly increased productivity and efficiency. Visitors peered through windows to watch sausages being made and visited the facility’s smoke room, finishing cooler and packaging room before capping off their visit with music, drinks and an extensive spread of appetizers.

The new smokehouse is a significant addition to the community, not only because it turns out a variety of savory products, but also because it employs a growing number of people. Before the new smokehouse began operations, there were eight employees at the previous smokehouse location. When the smokehouse moved to the much larger location on Stevens Street, the number of employees doubled to 16. As the operation grows, more are expected to be added.

“I have heard estimates of 25 to 30 from our team, but I think it would be more accurate to say that we will keep growing,” said Kindl Furtak, T.A. Solberg Co. marketing director. “The sky is the limit, really.”

Already the Trig’s Smokehouse products have garnered a loyal following, and the Trig’s brand is becoming even more well-known. The award-winning bratwursts and other Smokehouse products are distributed to Trig’s stores as well as Trig’s Shell and Trig’s Village Market locations in central and northern Wisconsin. The company will be distributing the products to other retailers, according to Furtak.

“We have had many national and international inquiries about our products that we are pursuing,” she said. “We are currently state licensed and are in the process of becoming federally licensed, which will allow us to ship across state and national borders.”