Business Spotlight: Kallas Honey Farm
Brothers Perry and Peter Kallas are the third generation of the Kallas family to own and operate Kallas Honey Farm. “I’m very proud that our family has been doing this for so long,” said co-owner Perry Kallas. “Not a lot of businesses can say that.”
Grandfather John Kallas first started the company in 1941, initially as a beekeeping hobby. Soon John started to sell the honey, eventually marketing the honey to large supermarkets. Ultimately, the neighborhood evolved from farm land to a more urban setting and the demand for Kallas honey outpaced the company’s local bee hives. John’s son, James, made the strategic decision to abandon beekeeping and concentrate on the processing of honey.
Perry and Peter now work with beekeepers around Wisconsin, the Midwest, and even the nation, to process, refine, package, and distribute the honey to customers across an array of industries in Southeast Wisconsin and the Chicago area. Honey, which was once considered only a breakfast item, can now be found in products on every aisle in the grocery store. Perry says Kallas Honey Farm looks to the Golden Rule to dictate how they conduct their business. “There’s no one we can’t look in the eye,” Perry said. “We may not be the biggest, and we’re not going to set records, but we want to make sure our customers are satisfied.” Learn more about Kallas Honey Farm here, or like them on Facebook.