When asked about our history we always begin with 50 years ago… The truth is it started much earlier than that with the family patriarch Monroe Stripling. He owned his own working farm, fertilizer business, mercantile store and later a grocery store. His four children were fortunate in finding their place within the branches of this family business. Charlie and Jack (Stripling) Perry managed and later owned the mercantile business, Jack and Ann (Stripling) Hardin managed/worked the family farm, Jeff and Sidney (Stripling) Hardy managed the fertilizer business, and James and Earlene Stripling, once he returned from the war, managed the grocery store. James’s passion for fresh pork and pork products led to the development of the infamous Stripling’s Sausage Recipe we still use today. He knew the key to a quality product... A fresh hot-boned country sausage. He opened his own store on the family farm in 1964 which quickly became known as the "Sausage Kitchen." It was simply a butcher shop where he sold his sausage and fresh cuts of pork. As demand grew so did his business by serving not only pork but beef as well. In 1978, after the death of James Stripling a decision had to be made to carry on what had become the Stripling Tradition or continue farming the family land. Jack Hardin and his eldest son, Ricky, decided to buy the "Sausage Kitchen". They had very little knowledge, little cash and a lot of farming debt. The one thing they did know was to continue using the whole hogs and James’ perfected blend of seasonings. They were right… Stripling’s whole hog country sausage is more popular than ever. In 1991, the business was moved to a location near Lake Blackshear on GA Hwy 300 S in Cordele, Georgia. The new store took us from 1200 square feet to 9000 square feet. Stripling’s Sausage Kitchen had come a full circle—we were once again a full line grocery store including specialty items like jams, jellies, salad dressings, sauces and more while continuing to keep sausage as the backbone of operations. In 1995, Stripling’s Beef Jerky was introduced. We decided to take a risk and create a beef product that would soon be just as popular as our pork sausage. Tender, Moist and spicy…Stripling’s Jerky is just as unique in taste and texture as our sausage. Stripling’s Jerky can be found in over 300 retail locations across the US. In 2005 the family tradition deepened as Ricky’s daughters, Lindsay and Ashley as well as his son-in-law, Clint, joined Stripling’s full time. They mark the third generation of Stripling’s to carry on the sausage tradition confirming their commitment to the family business for generations to come. Stripling’s General Store continues to grow with the addition of three more locations. Today Stripling’s employs 70 people and produces 600,000 lbs. of sausage and 150,000 lbs. Through all the growth and changes one thing has remained constant and that is the quality of our products and service. If you are ever in our area it’s worth a trip to see us. Just remember "You Never Sausage A Place."
