Reno-based Sierra Meat and Seafood has purchased The Sausage Factory in Carson City. In May the Flocchini Family, through the holding company, Armand Agra, bought the Sausage Factory from Joe Tonino.

The Sausage Factory will become Flocchini Family Provisions and will remain at its Sage Street location in Carson City with the same dedicated employees along with the addition of Steve Church as general manager. Joe Tonino has accepted the role of vice president and will aid in the management and strategic development of the business.

Sausages, hot dogs and other meats produced at the Carson City location will still carry the same Sausage Factory brand name.

For three generations, the Flocchini family has owned and operated Sierra Meat and Seafood in Reno and the Durham Bison Ranch in Wright, Wyoming. The sale was final May 2, according to a news release.

“Flocchini Family Provisions has a great foundation to help meet the growing demand from retail and food service for small batch, handcrafted, natural and specialty sausages, hot dogs and deli meats,” according to the news release.

“Having been a distributor for the Sausage Factory for the last 5 years, the Flocchini’s are great admirers of the exceptional high quality product produced at the company and look forward to growing that success both locally, in Nevada, and nationally, through its network of more than 300 distributors.”

The Sausage Factory, known for Its famous Italian sausage, and hot dogs that have been the official hot dogs for the Reno Aces, originated from Northern Italy, at the turn of the 20th century. 
Joe Tonino’s grandfather was a ranch butcher. Giuseppe Tonino walked the Italian Alps from farm to farm, expertly processing animals to exact specifications. He then opened a butcher shop in Chiaverano, Italy.

His son Luciano brought those secret family recipes to America in 1946, when he founded Ideal Sausage Factory in South Hackensack, New Jersey. Tonino’s father, Alcide came on board and the East Coast family business boomed. Alcide Tonino fell in love with Northern Nevada and in 1968 he purchased The Sausage Factory in Carson City.

Among the most popular products through the Sausage Factory are the All Beef Brisket Dog, the Aces Pork and Beef Dog, the Beer Cheese Brat with Wild Horse Amber Ale from Great Basin Brewery, the Cooked Corned Beef Sausage, the Italian Sausage, Tri-Tip Dog and new this year, the bison hot dog.