OSI Industries: Expanding their Business for a Century

OSI Industries is one of the world’s leading food suppliers. they recently completed a merger with another company to expand their Australian operations. This is the latest move in nearly a century of continuous innovation and expansion. While the company started in Chicago, Illinois, it is relatively rapidly outgrown its humble beginnings as a simple butcher shop and meat market. It was started in the early 1900s by a German immigrant and his sons, and remained a local supplier until the end of World War II.

With the rapid development of American suburbs and an increased demand for fast food, OSI Industries was able to become one of the first suppliers for the McDonald’s franchise. This was later pronounced when McDonald’s consolidated it’s supply line and the company became one of four core suppliers. the company also use McDonald’s international expansion to move their operations on to new continents.

A key component of OSI Industries expansion, was being able to provide a consistent product to each customer so that no matter where there product was served it would taste the same. This meant that the company had to remain on the cutting edge of technology in order to supply consistent and affordable products that could be transported over great distances to more and more restaurants.For example, the development of flash freezing food with liquid nitrogen reduced the cost of their products and allowed them to expand the number of goods that they could supply to customers. Recently, this has been realized with the opening of three new research centers to improve the quality and quantity of their products.

As the founders of OSI Industries retirement age Sheldon Lavin joined the company as a partner. Soon, with his negotiating skills and the company’s expansion in the international sector Lavin became the CEO in the early 1980s. this transition led to substantial growth for the company and led to the eventual expansion into Central and South America, Europe, and the Pacific Rim. This was followed by similar expansion into Taiwan and the greater Asia – Pacific area along with the Philippines and China. The company continue to grow its product lines, new plants were opened both in the U.S. and abroad.

OSI Industries also begin processing chicken to provide even more products to all of their customers. Still headquartered in Chicago where the company had started nearly a century before, they began to consolidate diversify and expand as one of the leading multinational food suppliers. The recent growth as focused on China and Europe as well as an expansion of their Australian presence by merging with Turi Foods. This is one of the latest moves buy an international company that has remained focused on providing quality products, research Innovations, and customer service from their inception as a small meat market in Chicago.