The iconic Sauer's Vanilla sign above the company's headquarters and manufacturing facility on Broad Street in Richmond (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
On June 21, the first day of summer, as many Richmonders were knife-deep in a jar of Duke's mayonnaise, ready to slather it across two slices of bread and make their first ’mater sandwich of the season, the news dropped.
C.F. Sauer Co., one of Richmond’s longest continuously operating businesses, announced that, after 132 years and four generations of Sauers at the helm, the company would be sold and Conrad F. Sauer IV would retire as president and CEO.
North Carolina-based Falfurrias Capital Partners will officially take over the spice, seasoning, extract and condiment conglomerate on July 15, at which point the company's name will change to Sauer Brands Inc. The sale does not include the family's real estate holdings, among them the in-progress 200,000-square-foot Sauer Center development anchored by Whole Foods Market.
Falfurrias had been on the hunt for a new business to add to its growing portfolio of packaged food companies — Sauer’s was on its radar as a company that had steadily grown to become a household name with unwavering brand loyalty and a product line featuring the mayonnaise of choice for everyone from James Beard Award-nominated chefs to Southern grannies.
C.F. Sauer founded his namesake company in 1887 at 21. The initial focus was on flavoring extracts such as vanilla, which quickly became a hit due to their accessibility and affordable prices, and eventually the product line grew.
Vintage promotional literature for Sauer's, circa 1915
When C.F. Sauer died in 1927, the company had become the largest producer of extracts and spices in the country. Two years later, the Sauer family purchased Duke’s Products Company, a Greenville, South Carolina-based business founded in 1917 by Eugenia Duke, the dame of Duke's. The mayo had become wildly popular after Duke began to put it on homemade sandwiches that she sold to soldiers at a nearby training camp.
Today, Duke’s products account for the largest percentage of the Sauer’s business and have sparked a cult-like following throughout the Southeast.
Chef-owner Jason Alley of Richmond's Comfort and Bingo, in a recent commercial along with three-time James Beard Award finalist and self-taught Alabama pastry chef Dolestor “Dol” Miles, claims that Duke’s simply has “that extra tang.”
“Duke's fans are rabid fans," says Alley. "Not just because, in my opinion, it’s undeniably the best commercially available mayonnaise, there’s just something about it — memories, a lifestyle, down to the freaking yellow color on the label. There’s so much more about it than simply, 'Here’s some mayo,' it’s personal to people, and there’s that emotional piece."
Miles uses the mayo in a recipe for chocolate-espresso cake, it's an integral ingredient in Alley’s signature pimento cheese paired with Ritz crackers, and Walter Bundy of Richmond’s Shagbark shares his favorite recipe using the condiment, shrimp and avocado salad, on the Duke's website.
Chef de cuisine of Southbound restaurant in Richmond's South Side, Craig Perkinson knows his way around a jar of Duke’s and has made a Duke's brioche for dishes from a tomato and lemon-ricotta salad to a cornmeal-fried soft-shell sandwich and a build-your-own BLT plate.
“The Duke’s brioche is always a secret for people to try," he says. "That tang really comes through in the bread.”
John Jessie at the 2019 Elby Awards (Photo via Instagram, @mznattyc)
The mayo's iconic packaging inspired the 2019 Elby Awards Duke's Diva ensemble of John Jessie, Elby nominee and former general manager of the recently shuttered Pasture.
The list goes on. But what does the sale mean for Sauer's, a Richmond institution that felt like a component of the city's identity?
Sauer’s Director of Marketing Erin Hatcher says, "The Sauer family's continued operation for nearly 132 years in the city of Richmond; the iconic, incandescently lighted vanilla sign; the enticing aromas emanating from the plant; and the presence of Sauer's products on grocery store shelves in Richmond all contribute to Sauer's brands being synonymous with Richmond."
One of the most pressing issues at the forefront of the acquisition: Will the recipe for Duke's, which has remained unaltered since its inception, change?
Chip Johnson, principal of Falfurrias Capital, says that the primary goal is simply to continue what Sauer’s has already been doing well. “That’s the last thing we would do,” he says in regard to retooling the Duke's recipe, noting that there has been an overwhelming response on social media and people reaching out directly to the firm saying, "Please don't change the formula."
"That’s a testament to the brand," he says. "We can alleviate that concern. We are as passionate about Duke’s as they are and would never do anything to change it.”
Although it may take time for consumers to build trust under the new ownership, Alley believes the Sauers family wouldn't have made the decision to sell if they didn't feel the company were in good hands.
“I think they saw an opportunity with a group they trusted, and I don’t think it’s the kind of move that they would make if they didn’t trust it,” says Alley, who received a personal phone call from the Sauer’s team about the sale. “If anything, there’s a lot of room for growth at the end of the day."
The new head of Sauer's, Bill Lovette is a 37-year veteran in the food industry who previously worked for major corporations Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride.
Johnson says, "Lovette has spent his entire career in the food industry, and we think he will help take the Sauer brand and business to the next level."
Although he is stepping down as CEO, Conrad F. Sauer IV will remain on the Sauer’s board, according to Hatcher.
“Having worked in the business all of his life, he possesses a wealth of information and history regarding the company and will be a valuable asset as a member of the board,” she says.
Johnson explains that one of the main goals of the acquisition by Falfurrias Capital is to expand the line of Sauer’s products to the West Coast and across the country.
“I think that one of the key reasons we love Sauer’s is because of the culture and values that have been fostered by the Sauer family,” says Johnson. “We do feel an obligation to continue to foster the great culture built.”
