Whenever you rip open a bag of Jack Link’s meat snacks, you get a taste of American tradition: a family-owned business that grew from hard work, high-quality products, a sense of community and a little fun.
That’s the recipe that put us on the map long ago. That’s the recipe that drives us today.

Then came Earl
Continuing the family tradition of taking meat very, very seriously, Chris’ son, Earl Link, later opened Minong’s first general store and butcher shop.
… And a boy called Wolf

In 1916, Earl had a son named Wolf Link who lived in the meat business from day one. Despite his predative name, Wolf grew to be a successful cattleman, raising the finest beef in all the land. Raising cattle was one thing, but his greatest accomplishment was raising his son, a boy named Jack Link. While hunting one day with his boys, Jack had the idea to make jerky with his great-grandfather’s old-world recipes (because, let’s be honest, they were better than anything found in stores). Together, he and his sons worked to create our inaugural product: Jack Link’s original kippered beef steak, an instant classic enjoyed by friends, neighbours and eventually the region. In 1986, Jack shook up the meat snacks category, selling his namesake beef steaks to convenience stores across Wisconsin.Things escalated quickly when Jack purchased a jerky packaging machine — that’s when Jack Link started selling nationwide, in the stores you can find it in today.