Manufacturing | Food & Beverage
President and CEO
Jack Link’s Protein Snacks | Minong
Troy Link is president and chief executive officer of Jack Link’s Protein Snacks, the largest manufacturer of meat snacks worldwide.
The company, which is based in the village of Minong in Washburn County, has a portfolio of brands that includes Jack Link’s, Lorissa’s Kitchen, MATADOR, SQUATCH, World Kitchens, Grass Run Farms Meat Snacks, Bifi and Pepperami.
Link joined the family business in 1988 – two years after its founding – while he was still in high school. Working under his father, founder Jack Link, Troy Link was named vice president of sales and marketing in 1996, where he helped widen the company’s distribution with key national retailers. Troy Link became president in 2003 and 10 years later was appointed CEO.
In 2014, the company acquired Unilever’s meat snack division, a deal that includes the BiFi brand and Peperami. In 2019, Jack Link’s acquired Tyson Foods’ Golden Island brand.
Troy Link was also influential in developing the company’s signature “Messin’ With Sasquatch” campaign.
Earlier this year, Jack Link’s announced plans for a new, $450 million plant in Georgia, which is expected to create 800 jobs – the company’s first manufacturing facility outside of the Midwest. The company is also planning expansions of its Alpena, South Dakota; Underwood, Iowa; and Minong facilities.
Education: Bachelor’s, University of Wisconsin-Stout
