Turlock has been a key part of many Thanksgiving dinners across the country since the 1950s. Residents of the Central Valley town don't travel the States attending holiday gatherings, but rather products developed in Turlock by Volk Enterprises, Inc. have been a mainstay for poultry preparation for both home cooks and professionals alike.

With over 50 years of manufacturing temperature indicating poultry trussing devices, Volk Enterprises, Inc. has earned a reputation as leaders in the industry.

“We do all of our manufacturing locally,” said Steve Volk, vice president of manufacturing. “We think we get the best product from doing that because our employees are trained, knowledgeable, know what to look for, know how to make it and have pride in what they’re doing.”

The business is family owned and has a rich history of continually working to make food preparation safer and more convenient.

Enoch Christoffersen, former Mayor of Turlock, started a poultry evisceration plant in 1951—and Tony J. Volk ventured to Turlock with his family when a managerial position opened up within the company.

“My father, Tony, helped Christoffersen mass market turkeys,” Volk said. “One of the problems they had was with the packaging—so my father came up with the original idea of the 'hock lock.'"

This device, the Hok Lok, allows for the bird to look more presentable in a bag when customers go to purchase their turkey and holds the drumsticks together for even cooking.

“Another problem during this time was that most housewives didn’t know how to cook a turkey because it only happened on Thanksgiving,” Volk said. “So, my father decided to invent his own pop up thermometer that turned out to be the best of its kind.”

Volk Enterprises has many products, but the Pop Up Disposable Cooking Thermometer is the most recognized and accurate temperature indicator in the world.

“Most of the people in this area are involved with small businesses and know one another,” Volk said. “It’s very conducive to work here, you know your electrician, your machinist, your builder—and they’re all local, they’re all cooperative and they all work together.”

Volk Enterprise, Inc. products can be found at Save Mart Supermarkets or your local grocery store.