Update: Mussatto will appear in the 2023 Christmas on Market Street Parade.
The Osage City Chamber of Commerce has named Casey Mussato, Flint Hills Beverage, as a co-honorary parade marshal for the 2023 Osage County Fair Parade. The parade begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 21, at the west end of Market Street in Osage City. Mussatto’s co-honorary parade marshal is David Haskins, Haskins Oil Service. Marshalling the parade will be Naomi Brown, Marilynn’s Restaurant.
Mussatto’s designation of honorary parade marshal recognize his company’s celebration of 90 years in the beverage wholesale business, serving the Osage City and surrounding area.
Mussatto Bros., which is now Flint Hills Beverage, was founded in 1933 by Victor and Joe Mussatto in Osage City, Kan. The company represented several Kansas City area breweries, the most well known of which was Muehlebach Brewing Company. In 1942, representatives of Anheuser-Busch called on the Mussattos at their downtown Osage City office and warehouse and told them that their current wholesaler in the area, 7UP bottling of Emporia, was not doing a very good job. They told Victor and Joe that they had heard very good things about their service and reputation and offered them the distribution rights to Budweiser, which was a good brand but only five percent of the market at the time.
The brothers asked about what they had to spend to get it and other details. When the representatives told them there was no additional investment, they decided to agree to take on Anheuser-Busch and the Budweiser brand.
Victor passed away in 1944 and Joe continued to run the business. Victor’s son Raymond and his wife, Juanita, bought out Joe in 1950. They owned and operated it through 1985. During that time, they also added Hamm’s Brewing and several other regional breweries. They grew the brands of their suppliers and Anheuser-Busch added several other brands like Michelob, Busch, Natural Light and Bud Light.
Raymond and Juanita’s son Casey and his wife, Cheryl, took over ownership in 1985. In the 1980s and 1990s the advertising and promotional expertise of Anheuser-Busch improved significantly, as well as the area’s population, and the market share of Mussatto Bros. Inc. grew from approximately 48 percent to nearly 60 percent.
In June of 2000, Casey and Cheryl along with Terry and Nina Dow purchased Campbell Distributors, in Manhattan, Kan., which were also Anheuser-Busch wholesalers in the Manhattan, Junction City, and Ft Riley area.
Then, on Jan. 1, 2013, Mussatto Bros. merged with Flint Hills Beverage. After the merger, the company became Flint Hills Beverage, named after the region it serves, and it continues operations in both cities.
Flint Hills Beverage is the leading beverage wholesaler in the Flint Hills region distributing a large variety of high-quality beverage products representing Anheuser-Busch Inbev, Nestle, New Belgium Brewing, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, Talking Rain Beverage, Congo, Walnut River Brewing, Odell Brewing, and 40 other beverage producers.
Today, Flint Hills Beverage is the fifth largest Anheuser-Busch wholesaler in the state and serves 500 plus retailers spread over 15 counties and the people in the Flint Hills region who buy their beverage products from them.
“As we celebrate 90 years in business, we want to thank everyone who chooses to buy the beverages we sell and for the efforts of more than 40 dedicated employees!”
Mussatto and David Haskins (read more) will serve as co-honorary parade marshal for this year’s Osage County Fair Parade, and will ride in the parade as honorees. The parade marshal is Naomi Brown, local businesswoman and restaurateur; read more about Naomi here.
The parade route runs east down Market Street to downtown Osage City. Parade spectators can watch the parade from just about anywhere along the route. The parade is hosted by the Osage City Chamber of Commerce; see the fair’s schedule of events here.
Even with the lack of rain and the hot days, many of the homes landscaping have been kept up with many hours of attention. Each month, the Chamber selects a yard to show appreciation of the beauty and hard work by the homeowners. The honorees receive $25 in Chamber Bucks to be used at an Osage City participating business. Announced as July’s winner was Gregg and Cheryl Croucher’s yard, at 834 Main St., Osage City. The beauty of their floral arrangements extends from the front of their home around to their back yard. The back yard includes a neatly kept garden, floral arrangements surrounding the house and out building. Gregg and Cheryl have lived in their home for 18 years.
ECKAN will be hosting a Chamber After Hours 5-7 p.m. Thursday, April 27, 2023. The office is located at 528 Market St., Osage City. Chamber members and the public are invited to come and join the staff in enjoying refreshments and visiting with fellow community members. ECKAN employees will be available to visit about services the organization provides for the community.
