Silver Star Meats picks up Alfery's Sausage, shuts plant
Alfery's Sausage Co., a 60-year-old family-run business in Mt. Pleasant, was acquired Friday by Silver Star Meats Inc. in McKees Rocks, supplier of the "official" hot dog at Heinz Field and the largest producer of hot dogs and delicatessen meats in the Pittsburgh area.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Yesterday was the last day for meat processing and production at Alfery's, which employed nine workers. They will not be retained by Silver Star Meats.
Silver Star Meats' production facilities and headquarters in McKees Rocks and a warehouse in the Montour West Industrial Park in Coraopolis employ 75 workers.
Silver Star, which provides hot dogs for Heinz Field and PNC Park, also sells its products to Giant Eagle and Shop n' Save grocery chains, along with Wal-Mart and Sam's Clubs, as well as various independent grocers.
"We have a lot of customer base that crosses over, but we're concentrated in the Pittsburgh metro area and we want to branch out. Alfery's has 60 to 70 customers that we didn't do business with, but we will now. Alfery's is also a really strong brand name, so this deal is a win-win for both of us," said Bob Germony, 48, president and CEO of Silver Star Meats Inc.
Germony said Silver Star Meats is poised for growth, fueled by landing its first national account with Famous Uncle Al's, a chain of hot dog shops based in Virginia Beach, Va. The company recently opened its first location in the Pittsburgh area along Curry Hollow Road in the South Hills, and plans to open three more outlets in the region.
"We'll have more market penetration now that we have two brands to market," said Germony. He said Alfery's current product line will remain intact, with Silver Star producing the meat and sausage products using the same standards and recipes, along with Alfery's branded packaging.
Silver Star Meats was founded in 1964 by Richard and Eleanor Razca. The company is now owned by its employees, who bought the company in 1993 under an employee stock ownership program, according to Germony.
A well-known fixture in Westmoreland County, Alfery's was founded in 1945 by Fritz and Bertha Alfery in Pittsburgh's Overbrook neighborhood. The family moved the business to Youngwood, Westmoreland County, in 1958. Alfery's has been in Mt. Pleasant since 1971.
"I'm proud that my family provided jobs for hundreds of people over the years, and contributed to the economy of Westmoreland County. But this was an opportunity that made sense for us and Silver Star," said F. Michael Alfery, president of Alfery's.
Although Alfery's will close its manufacturing facility in Mt. Pleasant, production of all Alfery products, which includes a full line of fresh sausage, processed meats, ham, bacon and deli items, will be absorbed into Silver Star manufacturing facilities. Alfery's products were sold in 14 Wal-Mart stores, various independent groceries, Shop n' Save, Foodland and Save-A-Lot stores.
Alfery will join Silver Star as vice president of sales for the Alfery Division, overseeing the integration of production. He will continue to manage the sales and marketing of Alfery's brand products.
