Oberto Snacks Inc.
An American producer of jerky, sausage, pepperoni, charcuterie and other packaged meat snacks.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Oberto Snacks Inc., formerly known as Oberto Sausage Company, is an American meat-snack business founded in Seattle, Washington, in 1918 by Constantino Oberto. The company began with handmade Italian sausages based on family recipes, including salami and coppa, and later developed into a broader producer of shelf-stable and smoked meat snacks. Its portfolio has included jerky, pepperoni, charcuterie products, chicken bites and other smoked meats sold under several names, including Oberto, Oberto Classics, Lowrey's Meat Snacks, Pacific Gold Beef Jerky and Cattleman's Cut. The business remained family-controlled during its formative decades. After Constantino Oberto died on Labor Day in 1943, his 16-year-old son Art Oberto assumed responsibility for the company while continuing his education at West Seattle High School. Art resisted pressure to sell and expanded the operation as demand grew. By the mid-1950s, sales supported construction of a new factory, completed in 1955 with financing assistance from the family of Art's wife, Dorothy Vennetti. Oberto's major transition from a regional sausage maker to a national meat-snack supplier came through beef jerky. The company developed jerky as a flagship product and secured placement with Safeway in 1967, its first distribution through a national grocery chain. The company subsequently expanded its manufacturing and brand portfolio. In 1990, Laura Oberto joined her father in senior leadership and became co-chairman; in 1991 she became president. Oberto acquired Smoke Craft and Lowrey's Meat Snacks in 1994, adding brands, facilities and approximately 200 employees, and acquired Pacific Sun Industries, producer of the Pacific Gold brand, in 2002. Distribution strategy changed significantly during the 1990s and 2000s. Oberto entered a distribution arrangement with Frito-Lay in 1999, but ended the relationship in 2009 after slower sales and returned to direct distribution of its products. Tom Ennis was subsequently appointed president and chief executive officer. During the early 2010s, the company reformulated its flagship jerky products, announcing the removal of ingredients such as corn syrup, preservatives, dextrose and other artificial ingredients. It also invested in a new production and distribution center in Nashville, Tennessee, opened in 2013, adding more than 300 jobs. The facility was closed in 2016 after the company announced layoffs of more than 80 employees. Oberto has used sports, outdoor activity and unconventional local marketing to distinguish its products. Art Oberto's branded Lincoln Town Car, known as the “jerky mobile,” promoted the company around the Seattle area beginning in the 1950s. The company sponsored a hydroplane racing boat from 1975 through the end of 2015. Later campaigns connected meat snacks with athletic performance and active lifestyles, using professional athletes and sports personalities. Oberto also partnered with Tough Mudder events and supported the Wounded Warrior Project. In April 2018, Oberto announced that it would be sold to Premium Brands Holdings Corporation. The transaction ended the company's period as an independent family-operated business while preserving Oberto as a meat-snack brand within Premium Brands' portfolio. Public reference material identifies the business as headquartered in Kent, Washington, and describes it as an active producer and marketer of packaged meat snacks.
History
Constantino Oberto established the business in Seattle in 1918, initially producing handmade Italian sausages from family recipes. The early range included salami, coppa and related sausage products. When Constantino died in 1943, his teenage son Art took over the business. Art continued operating the company while attending West Seattle High School and declined opportunities to sell it. Growth during the postwar period led to construction of a new factory, completed in 1955. The company's long-term expansion was driven by its move into packaged beef jerky. Oberto introduced its jerky to Safeway stores in 1967, giving the brand access to its first national grocery-chain distribution. Marketing also became a visible part of the company's identity. Beginning in the 1950s, Art used a branded Lincoln Town Car, referred to as the “jerky mobile,” for local promotion. From 1975 through 2015, Oberto sponsored a hydroplane racing boat. Leadership began transitioning within the family in the 1990s. Laura Oberto joined the company in 1990 as a senior leader and became president the following year. The company expanded through acquisitions, buying Smoke Craft and Lowrey's Meat Snacks and their Albany, Oregon, facilities in 1994. In 1999, Oberto entered a distribution partnership with Frito-Lay. The company later bought Pacific Sun Industries, which produced Pacific Gold, in 2002. Oberto ended the Frito-Lay arrangement in 2009 after slow sales and took distribution in-house. Tom Ennis was appointed president and CEO around the same period. In 2012, the company changed recipes for its flagship jerky products, removing corn syrup, preservatives, dextrose and other artificial ingredients. It opened a production and distribution center in Nashville in 2013, but announced the site's closure in 2016, with more than 80 layoffs reported. The brand continued to emphasize sports and active-lifestyle marketing. Its “You Get Out What You Put In” campaign used professional athletes and sports personalities, while partnerships with Tough Mudder events connected the company with endurance and outdoor audiences. Oberto also made a $100,000 donation to the Wounded Warrior Project in connection with its Tough Mudder partnership. In 2018, the company announced its sale to Premium Brands Holdings Corporation. Oberto remains identified with meat snacks sold under the Oberto name and related acquired brands, while its corporate history reflects a transition from a Seattle family sausage maker to a larger packaged-snack operation.
- 2018
Sale to Premium Brands announced
[1]Oberto announced that it would be sold to Premium Brands Holdings Corporation.
- 2016
Nashville facility closes
[1]Oberto announced the closure of the Nashville plant and layoffs affecting more than 80 people.
- 2013
Nashville facility opens
[1]Oberto opened a production and distribution center in Nashville, Tennessee.
- 2012
Jerky recipes reformulated
[1]The company adjusted flagship jerky recipes to remove corn syrup, preservatives, dextrose and other artificial ingredients.
- 2009
Distribution brought in-house
[1]Oberto ended its Frito-Lay arrangement and began distributing products independently.
- 2002
Pacific Sun Industries acquired
[1]The acquisition brought the Pacific Gold brand into Oberto's portfolio.
- 1999
Frito-Lay distribution partnership begins
[1]Oberto entered a distribution partnership with Frito-Lay.
- 1994
Smoke Craft and Lowrey's acquired
[1]Oberto purchased Smoke Craft and Lowrey's Meat Snacks, adding brands, facilities and approximately 200 employees.
- 1990
Laura Oberto joins senior leadership
[1]Laura Oberto joined her father in a leadership role and became co-chairman.
- 1967
Oberto jerky enters Safeway
[1]Safeway became the first national grocery chain to carry Oberto beef jerky.
Products and positioning
Packaged meat snacks positioned around bold flavor, convenient protein and active lifestyles, with brand communication frequently linked to sports, outdoor activities and simplified ingredient claims.
Jerky
Oberto Beef Jerky
Oberto's best-known product line grew from the company's sausage-making heritage and became its principal national grocery offering after distribution began through Safeway in 1967. The line includes packaged beef jerky positioned as a portable meat snack. In 2012, the company announced recipe changes intended to remove corn syrup, preservatives, dextrose and other artificial ingredients from flagship products.
Traditional meat snacks
Oberto Classics
Oberto Classics is a branded range associated with the company's traditional meat-snack heritage. It sits within the broader Oberto portfolio of cured, smoked and dried meat products, extending the brand beyond a single jerky format into familiar snackable sausage and related offerings.
Meat snacks · 1994
Lowrey's Meat Snacks
Lowrey's Meat Snacks became part of Oberto's portfolio through the 1994 acquisition of Smoke Craft and Lowrey's. The brand broadened Oberto's presence in packaged meat snacks and was associated with facilities in Albany, Oregon.
Beef jerky · 2002
Pacific Gold Beef Jerky
Pacific Gold Beef Jerky entered Oberto's portfolio through the 2002 acquisition of Pacific Sun Industries. It represents a separate beef-jerky brand within the company's multi-brand approach to packaged meat snacks.
Meat snacks
Cattleman's Cut
Cattleman's Cut is one of the meat-snack brand names associated with Oberto Snacks. Public reference material identifies it as part of the company's portfolio, alongside Oberto, Lowrey's and Pacific Gold, although detailed product-level information is not specified.
Sausage and cured meats · 1918
Italian sausages and charcuterie
The company began with handmade Italian sausage and historically produced salami, coppa and other cured meats. These products represent the culinary foundation from which Oberto expanded into modern shelf-stable jerky, pepperoni, charcuterie and smoked meat snacks.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015Shark Week jerky commercial
United States
Oberto ran a Shark Week commercial in which the company's CEO threw a giant piece of jerky into the ocean and a great white shark leapt from the water to take it.
Outcome. The advertisement extended Oberto's irreverent, spectacle-driven approach to meat-snack marketing.
- 2014Tough Mudder partnership
United States
Oberto partnered with Tough Mudder events to associate its meat snacks with endurance, outdoor activity and participation-based fitness.
Outcome. The partnership was renewed in 2015, and Oberto donated $100,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project in connection with the relationship.
- 2012You Get Out What You Put In
United States
This campaign linked Oberto meat snacks with performance and active lifestyles. Advertisements used professional athletes and sports personalities, including Louie Vito, Richard Sherman, Rob Gronkowski, Clint Dempsey, Dick Vitale and others.
Outcome. The campaign strengthened Oberto's sports-oriented brand identity and broadened its spokesperson roster.
- 1975Hydroplane racing sponsorship
United States · Pacific Northwest
Oberto sponsored a hydroplane racing boat as part of its long-running association with regional sports and spectacle.
Outcome. The sponsorship continued until the end of 2015.
- 1950Jerky mobile
United States · Seattle area
Art Oberto promoted the company locally by driving an Oberto-branded Lincoln Town Car, known as the “jerky mobile,” around the Seattle area.
Outcome. The vehicle became an enduring example of Oberto's unconventional local marketing style.
Brand decisions
2018
Sell the company to Premium Brands HoldingsM&ABackground
After a century of family ownership and independent operation, Oberto pursued a change in corporate ownership.
Action taken
Oberto announced its sale to Premium Brands Holdings Corporation.
Aftermath
Oberto became part of Premium Brands' broader food portfolio while continuing as an identifiable meat-snack brand.
2016
Close Nashville plantStrategyBackground
The company reassessed its manufacturing footprint after opening the Nashville facility three years earlier.
Action taken
Oberto announced the closure of the Nashville plant and layoffs affecting more than 80 people.
Aftermath
The decision reduced Oberto's operating footprint in Tennessee.
2013
Open Nashville production and distribution centerStrategyBackground
Oberto invested in additional manufacturing and logistics capacity.
Action taken
The company opened a production and distribution center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Aftermath
The facility initially added more than 300 employees but was announced for closure in 2016.
2012
Reformulate flagship jerky recipesStrategyBackground
Oberto responded to consumer interest in simpler ingredient lists and product claims associated with natural foods.
Action taken
The company adjusted flagship jerky recipes to remove corn syrup, preservatives, dextrose and other artificial ingredients.
Aftermath
The reformulation supported the brand's cleaner-ingredient and active-lifestyle positioning.
2009
Return to self-distributionStrategyBackground
Oberto reported slow sales during its Frito-Lay distribution period.
Action taken
The company terminated the Frito-Lay distribution deal and began distributing products itself.
Aftermath
Tom Ennis was named president and CEO shortly afterward, accompanying a broader operational reset.
2002
Acquire Pacific Sun IndustriesM&ABackground
Oberto expanded its multi-brand meat-snack portfolio.
Action taken
The company acquired Pacific Sun Industries, producer of the Pacific Gold brand.
Aftermath
Pacific Gold Beef Jerky became part of the Oberto brand portfolio.
1999
Enter Frito-Lay distribution partnershipStrategyBackground
Oberto pursued broader distribution for its growing packaged meat-snack business.
Action taken
The company entered a distribution partnership with Frito-Lay.
Aftermath
The arrangement ended in 2009 after slow sales, after which Oberto resumed self-distribution.
1994
Acquire Smoke Craft and Lowrey's Meat SnacksM&ABackground
Oberto sought to expand its meat-snack brands, manufacturing footprint and workforce.
Action taken
The company purchased Smoke Craft and Lowrey's Meat Snacks and their facilities in Albany, Oregon.
Aftermath
The transaction added approximately 200 employees and expanded Oberto's brand portfolio.
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