The Glier’s Meat Company was established in 1946 by Robert Glier. Robert Glier was born on July 24, 1913 in Dayton Kentucky. He began work at the age of twelve at the Yung & Company Dairy and Meat Shop in Newport. Following graduation from high school, he worked as an apprentice sausage maker at the H.H. Meyer Packing Company in Cincinnati. After serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II, Glier returned to Northern Kentucky and established a small retail shop at 439 Pike Street in Covington. At this shop, Glier produced and sold his hand made sausages.

In the mid-1950’s Robert Glier began producing goetta, a sausage like breakfast meat of German origin, in his Covington shop. In the 1960’s goetta production was increased with the opening of a second production facility in Cincinnati. In 1967, Robert Glier combined both production plants into a single facility. This facility was located at 533 West 11th Street and was a former dairy. The Glier Company continued to operate from this facility today.

In 1972, Robert’s son Dan began working with the family owned business. He was named president of the company in 1976. On February 21, 1978, Robert L. Glier, founder of the company, died.

During the 1990s, the production of goetta at the Glier’s plant doubled. The product is sold retail to local and regional supermarkets. Goetta production accounted for 40% of the company’s total sales in 1998. In addition to goetta, Glier’s was producing several dozen different types of sausages and maintained a staff of 16 employees.

The City of Covington paid homage to the Glier’s Company in 2002, when a small portion of 11th Street near the plant was renamed Goetta Street. That same year, the Glier’s produced nearly 1 million pounds of goetta, most of which was consumed in the Greater Cincinnati area.

Kentucky Post, February 24, 1978, p. 9 K, March 3, 1998, p. 8K, March 13, 1998, p. 3KK, February 6, 2002, p. 2K, Cincinnati Post, February 2, 2002, p. 8B and February 9, 2002, p. 1C

What is Goetta Anyway?

• Pronounced “get-uh”

Goetta is a sausage-like breakfast food that was made popular in the area by German-speaking immigrants from Hanover.

• The main ingredients of Goetta are: pinhead oats, ground pork, ground beef and spices.

Goetta is typically sliced thin and pan fried. Many area residents serve it as a side dish (like a sausage patty) others place goetta between two pieces of bread and eat it as a sandwich.