OSI Group – A World of Food Solutions

By Dave McDonald, President and Chief Operating Officer, OSI Group

Can you share some information about the company’s history and how the company became headquartered in Illinois?
OSI Group has a rich history within the State of Illinois. The company dates back to 1909, when Otto Kolschowsky, an immigrant of German descent, opened a family meat market in Oak Park, Illinois. After several successful years, Otto moved the business to Maywood, a nearby Chicago suburb, and renamed the company Otto & Sons. Having a reputation as a local meat market with high-quality products, Otto & Sons was soon introduced to Ray Kroc, the legendary founder of McDonald’s. In 1955, Kroc opened a McDonald’s restaurant in Des Plaines – the first McDonald’s in Illinois – with Otto & Sons as the restaurant’s first fresh ground beef patty supplier. Otto & Sons’ relationship with Kroc and McDonald’s continued to grow (and is ongoing today) as did the company’s customer base. With increasing demand for Otto & Sons’ high-quality meats, the company looked to further expand its processing operations and sought the assistance of Sheldon Lavin, a successful executive in the banking industry who owned his own financial consulting firm in Chicago. In 1970, Lavin assisted Otto & Sons with financing for its new processing facility in West Chicago, Illinois.  Over the next several years, Lavin’s involvement with Otto & Sons grew. He joined Otto & Sons full-time and eventually became a partner and CEO. During that time, the company also changed its name OSI Group.

Since then, OSI Group has grown from its domestic roots as a local meat market to an international food processing industry leader. The company has embraced new strategies, markets, and technologies that have led to a well-diversified global customer base featuring the world’s most prominent food brands.

Although OSI now has food processing facilities around the globe, the company has always considered Illinois as home and currently has its corporate headquarters, six manufacturing facilities, and a research and development center located in the Chicagoland area.  Through it all, the company has never lost the feel of a family-owned business.

What services does the company provide?

As a premier global food provider, OSI Group partners with the world’s leading foodservice and retail food brands to provide concept-to-table solutions for its consumers. With the infrastructure and financial resources of one of the largest privately-held food providers, OSI offers extensive capabilities to source, develop, produce, and distribute custom food solutions anywhere around the world.

Headquartered in Aurora, Illinois, OSI has more than 67 facilities and 20,000 employees in 17 countries and regions focused on making high-quality food products. The company offers custom food processing including meats and other proteins, vegetables, and sauces. Everything OSI develops is made to order to meet its customers’ unique demands, precise specifications, and operational requirements. OSI is a proud global supplier of beef, pork, poultry, seafood, plant-based, baked goods, and produce products. The company offers expertise in food processing, supply chain management, culinary and product development, food safety and quality assurance, and process engineering.

OSI is listed on the Forbes Top 100 List of America’s largest privately-held companies and has a well-earned sterling reputation. OSI Group facilities have won several awards for innovation, health and safety, risk management, and environmental management.

How many locations does the company have in IL?

OSI is pleased to have eight locations in Illinois, all of which are in the Greater Chicago area. The OSI corporate headquarters and our North America research and development center are located on the Northeast side of the City of Aurora. We also have six manufacturing facilities located in Chicago, Geneva, and West Chicago.

OSI is a proud member of both the Illinois and Chicago communities, and we look forward to serving in these communities for many more years to come.

What is the company’s vision, mission, and values?
OSI is powered by our vision of aiming to be the premier global food provider to leading branded companies. Our company mission is a direct complement of our vision, which is to be an indispensable supplier and partner, putting the customer at the center of everything we do.

We consider the OSI Values to be the foundation of how we do business and the behaviors we consider essential to achieving our vision and mission.

OSI has seven Values, which are listed below. We want each member of the OSI family to always have these Values in their mind and heart as they carry out the noble cause of helping feed the world.

The OSI Values:

• Act with Integrity
  • Put People First
  • Steward Our Resources for Future Generations
  • Seek Partnering Relationships
  • Strive to Continuously Improve
  • Explore Innovative Solutions

What is the most important element of the company’s success?
Without question, the most important asset to OSI is our people – whom we often refer to as family. OSI was started as a family company, and throughout the years and growth we have experienced, we have done our best to never lose the sense of a family company atmosphere. Walking through the halls of our corporate office or our processing facilities, you can quickly notice how team members know each other, say hi, catch up, and enjoy the time they have to work together on meaningful projects that will yield positive results for the company. We have never lost that entrepreneurial spirit from the original founders of the company, and we believe that spirit has allowed the OSI family to keep growing stronger as each year passes.

How does the company support the local IL community?  
OSI has always been heavily involved in our communities around the globe. Specifically, within Illinois, we have a close relationship with Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Northern Illinois Food Bank, and many local organizations such as the Healthy West Chicago Initiative and Make Kane County Fit for Kids.  We also work closely with the State’s universities and school systems to attend career fairs and provide internship and employment opportunities that are helping us build the next generation of leaders within the food industry.

We feel privileged to be part of so many great communities within the State of Illinois and appreciate all the support from the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.

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