Magazine-Winter-2025 - Flipbook - Page 21
By Jennifer Stroud ’24
I
n the small town of Evergreen, Alabama, the famous
Conecuh Sausage gift shop stands as a sort of
Disney World-esque road trip stop for Southern food
enthusiasts. Conecuh-brand everything (from sausage,
bacon and hot dogs to jellies, spices and coffee)
lines the shelves just around the corner from a hot
bar featuring sausages of every flavor with grits and
homemade Conecuh sausage gravy. In more than 75
years of business, Conecuh has grown from its small
beginnings in south Alabama to a cookout staple
across the Southeast (and beyond). The company is
currently expanding to a new plant in Andalusia to
keep up with demand, all while preserving its family
values and signature tasty sausage.
Where It All Began
John Crum Sessions, CEO of Conecuh Sausage,
appears to be old friends with everyone who graces
the front porch of the Evergreen gift shop. Many folks
stop here for a plate of breakfast to eat on the picnic
tables outside, and he speaks to most of them.
With a clap on the back and a laugh, he trades
stories—maybe about a recent hunting trip or a memory
with one of his grandchildren. Far from the image of
a corporate executive, he embodies the warmth and
welcome of true Southern hospitality.
Sessions took over this food empire decades ago
when it was just a small business called Conecuh
Quick Freeze.
WINTER 2025
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