Johnsonville. It's a small rural Wisconsin village in the midst of dairy farms and cheese factories. Established in 1874 and named after U.S. President Andrew Johnson, the village was popularly known as Schnappsville. It's a place still much the same as it was back in 1945 when Johnsonville Sausage was founded.

Ralph F. and Alice Stayer were confident that the family sausage business to which they dedicated themselves would be successful. After all, they were no strangers to hard work. Their 19th century sausage recipes were so good that, even today, they're still closely held family secrets.

The business prospered beyond the original butcher shop named after their quaint hometown to include three retail grocery meat markets in nearby communities. Demand for the extraordinary-tasting sausage continued to fuel expansion into wholesale sales to grocery outlets throughout Wisconsin. Today, under the leadership of the Stayer's children, Ralph C. and Launa, Johnsonville has grown to become America's favorite bratwurst and is fast becoming an international favorite as well.