OUR STORY
It all starts with premium barrel staves
What’s a stave, you ask? They’re the individual side “slats” that make a wooden barrel. Staggemeyer has a long-standing reputation for producing staves that create the finest-quality barrels required for wines and whiskeys to mature to excellence.
Fifty years ago, our company began operation in the southeast corner of Minnesota, just outside Caledonia. We are a preferred maker of barrel staves used by some of the most well-known brands of wine and whiskey in the world. Our customers include fine wineries from France, Italy, Australia and California. We’re also proud to provide staves that add their flavor influences to the distinctive tastes of two popular brands of whiskey – Jack Daniel’s® and Woodford Reserve®. We are recognized as a leading producer of world-class staves for the premium wine and whiskey industries, shipping to their cooperages (barrel makers) around the globe.
Manufacturing Marvels
In 2021, we were featured on the television program, Manufacturing Marvels. Their show spotlights American manufacturers, their products and processes. You can watch the 2-minute segment below.
What makes our oak so special?
There’s a great deal of science and research that goes into the process of making premium wines and whiskeys. An essential step is finding the right wood for the aging process, which takes place within the barrels. White oak is the wood of choice. And, not all white oak meets the high standards necessary to achieve desired results. Staggemeyer has the good fortune of being situated in the midst of some of the most sought-after white oak on earth. Our geographic latitude is similar to that of the Bordeaux region of France, meaning our white oak shares a similar nature with French species of white oak that have been used for centuries to produce the distinctive wine flavor complexities found nowhere else.
Whiskey producers also found our particular white oak desirable for its superior structure and flavor infusing characteristics. Our local white oaks take their time growing. The slow growth results in a fine grain that keeps out air while infusing rich layers of flavorings to the barrel contents.
All of our white oak is carefully selected for quality and consistency. Staggemeyer’s on-going sustained forest growth stewardship ensures that our locally-sourced resource will be maintained and abundant.
The discovery of the perfect BBQ pellet
Both industries have kept us very busy making premium staves. And, naturally, making staves produces sawdust. In the past, we’ve sent it off to paper mills, power plants or farms for animal bedding. As we pondered other best use alternatives, we realized our company has a perfect raw material for barbecue pellets, for both grilling and smoking.
We’re excited to announce our new barbecue wood pellet product, STOAKED™. STOAKED imparts the same flavors to outdoor cooking as are found in the subtle flavoring of fine wines and whiskeys. These flavorings include notes of vanilla, caramel, almond, clove, dill, and even a hint of coconut!
And, STOAKED will perform very well in your pellet grill or smoker. By nature, white oak burns with more BTUs than most other pellet woods, so the same size purchase goes further. Since our food-grade pellet composition is pure and consistent, you can expect the same experience every time – with virtually no ash to clean up afterward.
Wood fuel pellets that are 100 percent hardwood with 100 percent quality
Borne from the same fine raw material, STAGG’S™ Premium Fuel Pellets provide everything a pellet wood stove user is looking for – durability, consistency, high BTUs and low ash. STAGG’S is an optimized blend of oaks and other hardwoods, formulated specifically for pellet wood stoves used for residential and commercial heating.
While sharing many great qualities of our BBQ product, STOAKED, there are important differences in STAGG’S production quality tier. For those who may be tempted to use surplus STAGG’s in their grill or smoker, we caution that it’s a hardwood blend designed for BTUs (not for taste!) and not manufactured to food-grade standards.
Proven commitment to quality and forest resource stewardship
With a proud legacy of being a family-owned company, Staggemeyer believes in the importance of preserving and enhancing the woodlands we utilize for future generations to use and enjoy. Our commitment to the environment has been ongoing from the beginning, in all aspects of our business. We adhere to sustainable resource management practices that are environmentally sensible and socially responsible.
A forest is a dynamic ecosystem. Today’s advanced resource management improves aesthetics, increases site quality for tree species and improves ecosystems. Staggemeyer Stave also strives to reduce greenhouse gases by reclaiming all its stave production byproducts. There’s no discarded wood material left to emit CO2 as it slowly decomposes – raising the carbon footprint. Reclamation reduces the carbon footprint. When we partner responsibly with forests to enhance their natural dynamics, everyone benefits.