Cracking Open Our Story
Serving Up Breakfast Bliss Since Day One!
1941
Near the end of the Great Depression, a young man just out of high school bought eggs from local farmers, stacked them in the back seat of a used car and drove them to the homes of relatives & friends for the sole purpose of selling these eggs.
The young man’s name was Paul Kramer and with this idea, Echo Lake Farm Produce Company was born. Mr. Kramer’s business grew quickly as he branched into the Chicago market where Paul and his father traveled there with their eggs which they began selling to factory workers.
1949
With the expanded business, a 40 by 40 concrete block building was constructed on their farm property overlooking Echo Lake, located in Burlington, WI. The “door to door” delivery of shell eggs gradually ended as they acquired a Milwaukee based egg processor in 1949. This acquisition launched Echo Lake into the business of breaking eggs and selling them as liquid.
1964
In 1964, egg breaking and pasteurization capabilities were installed, replacing “hand breaking” of eggs. This allowed Echo Lake to offer longer shelf life egg products as well as expand into more markets. With the establishment of USDA inspection for liquid egg processing, Echo Lake emerged as one of the few major processors in the Midwest to meet the highest of standards. In those years, more automation was added, new buildings constructed and a fleet of trucks emerged to transport refrigerated liquid eggs as well as newly developed frozen egg products to customers.
1980's
In 1981, Mr. Kramer sold the company to the present owners, The Meinerz Family.
Since then, Echo Lake has adapted in many ways to meet the demand of an ever changing marketplace. Beginning in 1983, the company began production into a frozen line of cooked omelets, egg patties and diced eggs.
1990's
In 1996, we expanded into the production of French Toast and Pancakes.
In 1999, further expansion took us into the production of crepes and filled blintzes.
2000's
In 2001, we acquired a large production and storage facility in Owensboro, KY. This facility gives us new capacities along with additional strengths in serving our national customer base.
In 2004, we changed our name to simply Echo Lake Foods, due to our commitment to offer our customers far more than just egg products. We continue to create a variety of new concepts, flavor options and entrée styles for breakfast meal menus.
2020's
In 2020, we expanded our product line to include organic SKUs. In 2024, we achieved Prop 12 certification for all our plants, reflecting our ongoing investment in the cage-free market.
Stay Tuned!
At Echo Lake Foods, we are thrilled about the future and the endless possibilities it holds. As a beacon of innovation in the food industry, we eagerly anticipate the opportunity to continue pushing boundaries and setting new standards. Our commitment to excellence remains unwavering, and we look forward to serving our customers with the highest quality products, crafted with care and passion. With innovation as our guiding principle, we are excited to embark on this journey of growth and evolution, bringing forth even more delicious and innovative offerings to delight our customers for years to come.
