ENZN

Viskase Holdings, Inc.

A maker of the artificial casings that give hot dogs, sausages, and deli meats their shape. Founded in 1925 in Chicago as The Visking Company, it created the first synthetic casing from purified cellulose—and after finding the wrapper could be peeled off after cooking, made the "skinless" hot dog possible. Its name blends "viscose" with "casing," and its researchers also developed Visqueen, an early polyethylene film used in homes and on farms.