Newspaper Article 1994 – 80 years in business

80 years in business

By Marion Morris
Staff reporter, Hastings

Once [One] of Hastings’ few remaining family businesses, Vogtherr’s Holly Bacon Company, is 80 years old on Thursday.

Claire Vogtherr, great granddaughter of Carl, granddaughter of Ernest and daughter of Gordon, is now managing the business.

It is, she says, the only bacon company of its size in New Zealand which continues to sugar-cure bacon for three weeks as was done in 1914.

This year big changes were made to the company.

When St Aubyn St was made into a four-lane highway from Warren St to Nelson St it was necessary for the company to create more room in its factory. A second storey was added, the interior completely redesigned and the exterior given a facelift.

At the same time a name change was made from Hastings Bacon Company, to Holly Bacon Company taking the brand name it has always used for its products.

Claire says because of the extremely competitive nature of the bacon business, the company has plans to extend its product range into specialty foods like prosciutto, Italian sausage and smoked chicken which will be marketed from Wellington to Auckland. Hamilton is also an area the company intends selling to.

Photo caption – Claire Vogtherr, fourth generation manager of the 80-year-old family business outside the revamped premises.