For more than 50 years, Mary Ann’s Specialty Foods has blended tradition, innovation, and family leadership into a nationally recognized meat business rooted in Webster City. Founded by William “Bill” Korleski in the early 1970s, the company began as a small-town operation built on expertly seasoned and smoked meats. Today, the business is led by the second generation, with members of the third generation actively involved, continuing the family legacy while preparing the company for its next chapter.
Mary Ann’s Specialty Foods is best known for its hardwood-smoked hams, bacon, sausages, pulled pork, and ribs, with its own bone-in Kor-Bert ham brand earning a loyal following. With pork remaining the cornerstone of its product lines, the company also offers poultry and beef products, serving “clean” retail brands, foodservice, wholesale, and private-label partners nationwide. Long before “clean label” became an industry standard, Korleski pioneered uncured, no-nitrates-or-nitrites-added recipes, positioning the company as an early innovator in natural meat processing. His innovative recipes and curing methods are now the “key” ingredient top brands seek to create products consumers love!
Leadership of the company has remained firmly in the family. Today, Mary Ann’s is led by Bill Korleski’s children, Pam Netzel and Kelly Korleski, whose hands-on management style reflects the values on which the company was built. “We grew up in this business,” Netzel said. “My dad’s focus on family values has shaped how we lead our employees, the products we produce, and the customers we partner with.” Korleski added, “Being family-owned gives us the flexibility to respond quickly and thoughtfully. However, we’re not just producing quality meats, my dad taught us that our business is all about growing and supporting healthy, happy families.”
Korleski’s family legacy continues to grow through a major 30,000-square-foot expansion currently underway. Breaking ground in April 2025 and scheduled for completion in April 2026, the project includes new ready-to-eat and bacon packaging rooms, expanded shipping and warehouse space, upgraded employee facilities, and new slicing and packaging equipment. The expansion is primarily focused on packaging capacity, positioning the company to meet rising national demand for clean, healthy foods while improving efficiency and workplace conditions.
The economic impact of Mary Ann’s Specialty Foods extends well beyond its walls. Employing more than 300 people—approximately 83 percent of whom reside in Webster City—the company represents a major source of stable, high-quality jobs in the region. Its continued capital investment signals long-term confidence in central Iowa’s food manufacturing sector and reinforces Webster City’s role in nationwide distribution networks. As Bill Korleski would say, “Let’s Grow Together!”
With third-generation family members, Rachel Zwiefel and Collin Coffey now entering the business, Mary Ann’s Specialty Foods is preparing for its next chapter. “It’s exciting to see the next generation step in,” Korleski said. “It tells us we’re building something that will last.”
From pioneering clean-label meats to investing in workforce and infrastructure, Mary Ann’s Specialty Foods exemplifies how a deeply rooted, family-owned company can continue to innovate, while strengthening the regional economy for generations to come.