Welcome to Ludwig Fish & Produce Co., Inc. wholesale foods
About Us
- Tom Robinson owner of Ludwig Fish & Produce Co., Inc.
In the beginning, the building that now contains Ludwig Fish & Produce was once the Ridgeway Hotel (Lake View Hotel). John Ridgeway built the hotel in 1853. It was designed by J.M Vanosdel, who was the architect for the 1848 LaPorte County Court House. The building was originally constructed as a railway hotel after railroads entered LaPorte in 1851-1852.
The trains pulled up into the siding beside the hotel. The passengers who were able to afford the cost of room and board got off the trains and stayed at the hotel. The passengers who couldn't afford it remained on the train. There were wash basins on the trains but there weren't any toilets. Because of the lack of lavatories, the hotel had out-door toilets in back.
In 1901, Kramer & Sons moved into the building. From that point the facility was turned from a hotel into a grocery distributor. After Kramer & Sons were no longer in business, another company by the name of Food Crafters moved in. They specialized in dried goods distribution but it wasn't too long until they went out of business as well.
In 1946, the Robinson's began their business on the 600 block of State Street in LaPorte in partnership with Robert Ludwig. Robert's father, R.C. Ludwig, ran fishing tugs on Lake Michigan and supplied the business with fresh fish.
In 1947, the Robinson's bought out the business from the Ludwig family to begin the family-owned wholesale food business. In the early 1950's, they also purchased produce from local farmers. Even though the local farms supplied the Robinson's with fresh produce, much of their food came from Chicago.
In 1970, they relocated into the building that housed so many other businesses of it's time, the Ridgeway Hotel, Kramer & Sons, and Food Crafters, In 1990, the Robinson's began renovating the outside of the building to preserve this historic site. Today, Ludwig Fish & Produce offers a variety of products. We offer bulk quantities fish, produce, condiments, paper goods, and other dietary commodities.
Ludwig Fish & Produce continues to expand their territories with competitive products and competitive service. Unlike the pre-existing businesses that once lived inside it's walls, Ludwig Fish & Produce is here to stay for many generations to come.