Cudahy Packing Company
Cudahy Packing Company was a U.S. meat packing company established in 1887 as the Armour-Cudahy Packing Company and incorporated in Maine in 1915. It was founded by Patrick Cudahy (March 17, 1849 - July 25, 1919) and his brother John Cudahy, Irish immigrants from County Kilkenny whose family came to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to avoid the Great Irish Famine. The original business is no longer in existence, but legacies are evident in Cudahy, Wisconsin (established by Patrick Cudahy as a base for his meatpacking business that still exists as the Patrick Cudahy division of Smithfield Foods).
The Cudahy company was established by Irish immigrant Patrick Cudahy (who was born in Ireland on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1849). As an adolescent he worked at packing houses and during the off-season at nurseries. At 25 in 1874 he became Superintendent of Milwaukee's largest meat packing plant, Plankinton and Armour. He helped the business adjust to industry changes from barreled pork to cured meat and was given a one-sixteenth interest in the business. In the 1870s the business moved to Chicago.
Patrick's brother John Cudahy was also involved in the business and together they took it over in 1888. Cudahy Bros. was split off in 1892, because Patrick "was unhappy with his business relations with William Woods Plankinton" (son of John Plankinton). Patrick Cudahy bought 700 acres (2.8 km2) of land in what became Cudahy, Wisconsin, with two-thirds financing from his silent partner, John Cudahy. The oldest of Patrick's sons, Michael F. Cudahy (May 27, 1886 - May 20, 1970), a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, joined the company as Treasurer in 1908, became Vice-President in 1909, Executive Manager in 1913, and President after his father's death in 1919. Michael remained as President until 1961, when his son, Richard D. Cudahy, succeeded him. In 1971, Patrick Cudahy was acquired by pork processor Bluebird, later renamed Prestige Foods. The Patrick Cudahy Co. meatpacking business is now part of Smithfield Foods, who acquired it from Bluebird in 1984.
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