After 101 years, Oberto Specialty Meats has determined that the best way forward is to go back to the beginning. In a matter of days, the Washington State-based company will launch a massive initiative that involves re-introducing classic hits from their early days, improving their staple products, creating new one-of-a-kind jerky products and refreshing all their packaging to highlight their focus on quality, flavor and heritage.

“These changes represent the most significant improvements to quality and flavor in our 101-year history,” said Stephen Oberto, chief marketing officer and the great grandson of founder, Constantino Oberto. “I’ve never been more proud to have our family’s name on our products,” he added.

One of the first places consumers will literally get a taste of the changes, is at Century Link Field, when classic Oberto Hot Links are made available at Seahawks games. An in-stadium favorite of decades past, the delicious hot links will also be available at grocery stores and Club tagged with bright green stickers proclaiming, “Official Sausage of The Seattle Seahawks."

In addition to hot links, Oberto will go back 5,439 miles to Felino, Italy and the roots of its founder Constantino Oberto, to bring to the US authentic Italian charcuterie. Produced, sliced and packaged entirely in Italy and never frozen, the gluten-free antipasto, prosciutto and salame (Which will be paired with an assortment of high-end Italian cheeses) will allow Oberto to expand to the coveted perimeter of the grocery store with products whose quality will rival the finest deli offerings.

As mentioned, this heritage-inspired transformation for Oberto goes well beyond the introduction of hot links and charcuterie. Oberto Original Beef Jerky will now be enhanced with natural wood smoke and tenderized for improved taste, boast 27 percent less sugar and still promise no artificial ingredients.

Meanwhile, new Oberto Smoked Sausages will be smoked an incredible six times and slow-dried for three to five days to provide unparalleled taste. (For reference, competitive sausages are currently smoked once or twice at most.) These changes alone represent the most significant improvements to product quality and taste in the company’s century-long history.

To go with the new products and new cooking process, Oberto is also introducing new packaging that highlights the company’s commitment to quality and flavor and pays homage to its 101-year heritage. There’s a black and white photo of the company’s founder taken in 1922 as well as a refreshed logo that’s coupled with a pair of meat cleavers, the words, “Since 1918” and the designation, “Specialty Meats.

For a company that has been around since the time General Motors acquired Chevrolet, changes in any one of the areas would be monumental. 

But collectively, they exemplify the biggest news in the $1 billion deli meat category and the $3 billion meat snacks category.