Wilson & Co. evolved over the years to adapt to a changing
market and changing leadership. The business began in
1916 when founder Thomas Edward Wilson took control of
the Chicago meat packinghouse, Sulzberger & Sons Co.,
and rebranded it as Wilson & Co.
By 1917, the company ranked as one of the 50 largest industrial corporations in the United States, and continued to employ
thousands of workers at its plant in Chicago until the 1950s.
Wilson & Co. held several subsidiaries that utilized animal by-
products for the manufacture of sporting goods.
Thomas Edward Wilson (1868 – 1958)
