These projects come at the same time that Kowalski is investing in something else that consumers will appreciate-the re illumination of its iconic neon-out-lined sausage sign that has identified its Holbrook Avenue headquarters since the 1940s. Having that hotdog-shaped sign blazing again will serve as a reminder that Kowalski is a permanent and real part of the Detroit-Hamtramck revival, Michael Kowalski says. Plus, the family understands the value of such a picturesque icon, giving future generations an image to attach to its name of good food, good people and good times.

Although the Kowalski name may be synonymous with the natural casing hot dogs and fresh and smoked sausage, acquisitions starting in 2002 and continuing today have brought Kowalski “Kowality” to several other product lines.

Some 55 varieties of Kowalski prepared food items are currently distributed throughout the Midwest via grocers and other food distribution dealers and to all 50 states through Internet sales. Today Kowalski Companies Inc. competes in four businesses: meat product manufacturing, wholesale distributing, prepared foods and salad dressings.

Recent expansion in 2015 includes the addition of Consumer Guild Foods LLC, a Toledo-based company that produces a variety of sale dressings and sauces. In 2011, Kowalski Companies Inc. acquired Hamtramck-based Dudek Foods, which specialized in handmade pierogi as well as nalesniki, which are crepe-like pancakes and that can be made thin or thick.

The following year, it purchased Tasso Epicurean Cuisine, based in Novi, which produces a line of food items, primarily twice baked potatoes. Prior to these, in 2002, the company acquired Home Style Foods, which produces a high quality salad and dip product line.

Kowalski Companies Inc. brands now include Dudek, Tassos, Amhurst Kitchens, Just Sweet ’Nuff chicken ‘n’ Rib Sauce, Our Famous Sweet’ n” Spicy Chicken ’n’ Rib Sauce, Tiayia’s Famous Greek Salad Dressing, Consumer Guild Supreme, Home Style Foods and the Original Hunters Sausage. These expansions started simply, but they’ve proven essential to the company’s present and future, says Michael Kowalski.

“We were fortunate that we were in the right place at the right time, but what it does is open up a whole new avenue of food businesses that we can get into,” he says. “Today’s consumers are eating and shopping differently than ever before. We had to adjust how we did it. That’s why we ‘re always watching what the trends are in the market.”

But that doesn’t mean chasing every trend, he adds. “We felt we were a traditional company. For us to chase around low fat, low salt chicken sausage doesn’t stick with the tradition that we have. Our grand scheme is now that we cover a lot of areas in the food spectrum to get into what people consider a prepared foods segment,” he says, “We have products like the salads, but then we thought of adding our proteins to the salads. People like to eat healthy, but they still like to eat well and sometimes the two don’t go together. It’s about having a craving for the foods you love—we’re the craving company.”

While Kowalski products can be found in the grocery stores and markets in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, the company also ships orders anywhere in the United States from its website at www.kowality.com. Kowalski says the company’s online orders spike around Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, as families out of state order fresh kielbasa. “Sometimes, their shipping costs are more than the product,” Kowalski laughs. “They get on the phone or they’ll send us a note with their order. They’ll say, ‘We know it’s unusual, but we gotta have it.’ We are glad to have customers like that; that speaks to our tradition.”

Kowalski plans to increase its distribution to include Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. These growth areas are ideal because people within these states could seemingly sit down at a table together and be perfectly compatible, Kowalski said.

“Regionally, there are different tastes and expectations for product. Something that people take for granted in a hot dog here is the different in the Southwest or the South, for example,” Kowalski says.” “But all of those states we’re looking at still share a similar taste palate with us. We think these areas are ready for our products.”

Where it all began

Kowalski’s relationship with “Kowality “began in 1920, a deeply held philosophy established by Zygmund Kowalski, great-grandfather to Michael and Linda. It’s a term with several meanings, the most significant referring to the high quality standards the company has for its food products. But it also reflects Kowalski’s commitment to its employees – who have numbered more than 2,000 over the past decades- and to the communities that it serves, including its hometown of Hamtramck.

Agnes and Zygmund Kowalski emigrated from Poland to America in the early 1900s, their quest being similar to others—a better life. The couple began their careers as owners of a small grocery store on Chene Street in Detroit, but wanting to bring their favorite foods from the “old country” to their new home, they added a smokehouse to the store and production of Polish Kielbasa and other sausage began. Demand grew and the factory on Holbrook Avenue in Hamtramck was built in 1920. While running their business, the Kowalski family had grown with the birth of their three children: Stephen, Rose and Helen. In order to grow the business, Zygmund hired George Bak, who worked as a salesman and went around to all of the merchants in the neighborhood, taking orders and delivering the meat in a cart. The business soon grew to include Steve, as well as the husbands of the two daughters, John C. Squires and John W. Worzniak.

In 1943, all three men were called to war. Shortly after, however, Zygmund’s health started to deteriorate, and Stephen being the only son in the family to carry on the Kowalski name was called back from war in Japan to help run the family business. Once the war was over, Zygmund gave up the reins of the company for good and the left the business in the hands of the younger generation.

Declining health ultimately took Zygmund in 1956, the same year an addition was added to the production facility, a building that stands today. Under the direction of Stephen Kowalski during the mid 1950s and the late 1970s a major part of growth for the company came about.

Steve developed a new product based on a traditional dried Polish sausage, naming it “Hunters” sausage, which not long after became a customer favorite. In 1972, Ronald J. Kowalski, grandson of the founder, who began his career working for the company, was named president of the company, beginning a string of changes that included addition of both equipment and people, eventually reaching 250 employees.

In the middle of those changes, in 1983, both Stephen and Agnes Kowalski passed away, with Ronald continuing to run the business until his passing in 1989.

At that time the company was left to his three children, Audrey, Michael, and Linda, who ran the company together as a fourth generation until Audrey’s departure in 1994. Today, the company’s leadership remains in the family, with two of Ronald’s children, Michael and Linda, who continue to manage and uphold the traditions of Kowalski “Kowality” established by their great grandparents, even as they oversee the modernizing and growth.

Overcoming challenges

The path that led to where Kowalski is now in terms of its facilities, growth pattern and future plans wasn’t a smooth one, Michael Kowalski says.

In fact, it’s important to note that Kowalski was a competitive swimmer when he was in high school and college to understand why he embraces a challenge, even when it comes in the form of real estate and bureaucracy. His swimming background reads like an all-star resume: NCAA division 1 All American (twice ), College Swim Team Captain of two years, Florida State University Hall of Fame in 1995, participant in USA Olympic Trials in 1988 and former holder of World Best Time in 50 Metter Backstroke.

Kowalski says the pattern of growth began with the acquisition of Homestyle Foods in 2002.”The partnership made sense because the owner was older and wanted to get out of the business,” says Kowalski. “We were already carrying their products and taking them to different accounts. I saw it as an opportunity to expand our business.” It was then that the family began thinking about consolidation. “It is much easier to run one facility than it is to run two,” he noted. “Then several articles came out saying we were considering moving and looking at other facilities. I probably looked at over 100 facilities across the area. There were a few that looked promising.” But a proposed move to Madison Heights failed to materialize. “The next step was to look at our site – but we ran smack into the emergency manager in Hamtramck.” Kowalski says, laughing now at the memory. That timing didn’t work either. Let’s just say that businesses need decisive action from local communities. So Kowalski decided he needed to put some money into the company’s salad facility, reinvest in its headquarters’ equipment and freshen up both sites.

There was also some urgency to the decision, as the company was dealing with specific requests that would require a boost in production to meet the order. In other words, the clock was ticking. So, Plan C? Exactly, Kowalski says, referencing a quotation that admonishes those who fail at Plan A to keep going – the alphabet having 25 more letters to use.

“To me that summarizes business in a way, “says Kowalski. “ Not just the meat business, but any business. You’ve got to be able to take some hits because not everything works.”

Accepting challenges and rising to them appeals to the former competitive swimmer.” I want to win. I want to keep going. I want to be the best,” he admits. “I understand from my athletic life: to get to the top of the podium, there’s a lot more going on. And a lot of it is failure—you can’t do it the first time. But you keep trying and then you get there by the end. It’s the pursuit of it. You have to be resilient and on top of it to stay on task. Know where you want to go and do everything you need to do. Take advice. But the end, it’s almost sheer will. It’s the will to get it done.”

It may not always be easy to accept a challenge or even a failure. But Kowalski knows that everything – whether it is personal or professional- balances on how well you react to what life throws at you.