From Our Family to Yours
This year we celebrate the 63rd Anniversary of Cattaneo Bros. This year we also honor the owners, Mike and Jayne Kaney, who passed away in 2008. In February, Mike passed away after a brief and fearless fight with Leukemia. In July, Jayne passed away after a seven-year hard fought battle with Melanoma.
Mike and Jayne moved to San Luis Obispo from Colton, California in the late 60's to attend Cal Poly. They married shortly after graduation and each started their own business so they could stay in San Luis Obispo. Jayne used her talents to open a gift shop downtown across from the Old Mission Church. And Mike continued with his family's heritage in the meat industry starting a food service distribution company that still operates today as Kaney Foods.
After the two started a family of their own, they decided to work together and bought Cattaneo Bros. in 1989. Both were proud to add their family to a local tradition.
Since the beginning of their ownership, Mike and Jayne worked hard to strengthen the brand and the quality of the Cattaneo Bros. product line.
Mike developed new recipes like Pork Apple Honey and Chorizo sausage. He worked with the owner's grandson, Jeff Cattaneo, to develop a whole new line of turkey jerky products. He made Cowboy-Cut available to everyone, and brought back the Extra-Thin, the original jerky cut style.
Jayne focused her efforts on the gifts line and catalog. In 1990, Cattaneo Bros. offered nine gift packs in a single type of box. Today the company still offers that traditional wood box, but also over a 100 gift packs full of the best fruits, nuts, and candies that California has to offer.
In addition to running the family business, Mike and Jayne were also very involved in the community. Since 1984, the two had not missed the California Mid-State Fair. Jayne could be found in the barns working with the children, her own and those she considered hers as leader of the Edna 4-H Club. Mike was in the stands buying animals at the livestock auction. Mike was also a charter member of a local Rotary club and never missed a charity BBQ when asked to help out.
Mike and Jayne treasured their family more than anything and were very proud of their four children. They made sure that their kid's were always a part of Cattaneo Bros. from the very beginning.
Since Cattaneo Bros. was founded in 1947, the company has remained steadfastly committed to American manufacturing and American workers. For quite some time, the meat snack industry has seen a marked trend toward imported product. We have resisted this trend however, because we believe in the ingenuity, enterprising spirit and integrity of the American worker and the American cattle industry.
We are proud to produce all of our gourmet food products in California using only U.S. meat. We buy only the best meat and ingredients in order to produce a consistent, top-quality product. Real jerky can’t be made by machines. Each piece is hand-cut and marinated in apple cider vinegar with no added sugar then hung to dry for hours in smokehouse ovens.
After 63 years, Cattaneo Bros. is still a family owned and operated business. Our family works hands on in the factory each day to make each meat snack with care just as the Cattaneo family did.
The Kaney Family has worked hard to keep the production facility up to date with the latest USDA food safety requirements while continuing to maintain traditional production techniques. They believe that it is the family's trade secrets, recipes and attention to detail in the production process that make Cattaneo Bros. products one-of-a-kind.
So while the next generation is taking the reins a little sooner than anticipated, pride in craftsmanship and community is in their blood. THE LEGACY CONTINUES........
