Our Story

With a reputation for delicious, good quality products and excellent customer service, this salad dressing factory has been the heart of Main Street Palestine since 1948.

When John D. Mullen was stationed in Tours, France during World War I, he fell in love with a unique salad dressing at a local restaurant. Once he returned to the US, John replicated the recipe and began featuring it as the signature dressing in his restaurants. Word spread and demand increased, resulting in Mullen’s purchase of a building in Palestine, Illinois for production of his special product.

In 1948, the J.D. Mullen factory was opened on Main Street. Before long, fellow Palestine merchant, Roy Shaner, sold his hamburger and ice cream shop and joined John in developing the Mullen’s dressing factory. Together they created new recipes, some of which are still made today using the same recipes.

Following John’s death in 1969, Roy, his wife, Ann, and son, Jeff, took over the company. This Shaner family business continued preserving John’s legacy until July 2023, when the company changed hands again. Jeff Shaner sold the business to Penny Shaw, co-owner of FLYING S, an aerospace company in rural Palestine. Penny purchased Mullen’s to preserve John’s legacy, to create and manufacture unique dressings and sauces. This allowed an essential piece of economic activity to remain in the local community.

Time has passed and while the ownership has changed, the secret recipes have not. Mullen’s produces quality salad dressings and sauces following the original recipes in the same production facility Mullen established over 75 years ago. We are proud to continue John Mullen’s long-standing legacy.