History
and Philosophy of SACO Foods
Bartel Sanna founded SACO Foods in 1973. His history
in the dairy industry, however, goes back almost
four decades to 1935, when Bartel, his brother Leon,
and father Anthony formed Sanna Dairies in the depths
of the depression. After the war, Bartel's two other
brothers and a brother-in-law also joined in the
Sanna Dairies family business.
In its first decade, Sanna Dairies concentrated
on fluid dairy products & distribution, and dried
dairy industrial ingredients, such as ice cream
mixes. It wasn't until after the Second World War
that they introduced their first nationally marketed
product, Sanalac, the first instant dry milk on
the market. Many more consumer products followed,
including the first instant Hot Cocoa Mix, Swiss
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In
1968, the Sanna brothers decided to sell their successful
business to Beatrice Foods. While some of the brothers
remained with Beatrice, Bartel, who had never had
a boss in his life, decided to opt out of the corporate
life to retire. But retirement wasn't easy for someone
who had been so active in business his entire life.
In between casting fishing lures, his mind was working
on new ideas and plans for a second business.
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In
1973, on his 60th birthday, Bartel Sanna founded SACO
Foods. Although this time it wasn't the depths of the
depression, it was the depths of a very bad recession.
Amid oil embargoes, long lines at the gas pumps, inflation
and price controls, Bartel was swimming against the economic
current, once again, to start a business.
His first product was Mix'n Drink
Instant Nonfat Dry Milk, and the product was right for
the time. In a grocery category that was used to ordering
by the case, Bartel sold by the truckload and railcar.
Because of its price AND the exceptional quality of Mix'n
Drink, it became an "instant" success! Believe it or not,
at that time it would not have been unusual to find a
wall of fifty or a hundred cases of Mix'n Drink in a single
supermarket!
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