Also involved in these efforts are WSWC’s industry-driven Research Program and the advanced WSU Wine Science Center, a convincing symbol of the industry’s focus on the future.

A state government organization that represents all of the state’s licensed wineries and grape farmers, the WSWC was created in 1987 and is funded nearly exclusively by the industry through assessments based on grape ($12/ton) and wine sales (< 2 cents/bottle).

Representing a vibrant industry
“We represent every licensed winery and grape grower in Washington State,” explains Executive Director Kristina Kelley. “We’re not a membership organization; we’re part of the Washington State Department of Agriculture, guided by an appointed board and supported by assessments, not membership dues.”

The 13 members of WSWC’s board represent the industry, its wineries from small to large, and all growers small and large in both the east and west of the state.

“We have a cross-section on our board that represents a snapshot of our industry, focused on marketing communications, knowledge, and viticulture research,” says Kelley. “It’s really about building positive awareness of the Washington State wine industry, generating stronger demand for our wine, and making sure we’re addressing the health of our vineyards.” It also means addressing the needs of oenology (winemaking) and driving the growth of Washington State wine production through marketing and research.

Operating in the second-largest wine-producing state in the U.S., behind only California, the WSWC works closely with many fellow agencies and producers, including those in British Columbia, as it did during the catastrophic freeze of 2024, with Washington selling its grapes to its British Columbia colleagues.

Sustainable WA up and running
Sustainability is another vital component of the Commission’s work, and Sustainable WA, a stringent, scientifically based third-party certification program introduced in 2022, guarantees that Washington vineyards are grown and tended to sustainably, with consideration for the environment and the people who grow each grape. Sustainable WA wines are just now coming into the market, with about a third of the vineyards in Washington certified through the program. Wines can carry the Sustainable WA logo if they are made with at least 75-percent certified grapes.

To simultaneously maintain the health of agricultural and urban watersheds for native salmon, critically important to Washington State, Salmon-Safe, a prominent ecolabel in the United States, now offers dual certification to vineyards.

Kelley further clarifies when speaking on the vineyard certification, “It’s about managing what you’re doing in vineyards, inputs you’re using, and environmentally sound decisions.” Kelley adds, “What we have now is very much geared toward the agricultural portion of it, so protecting watersheds, soil health, and low-input farming techniques, which will help us as we think about the future of our industry.”

A sustainable future for the outstanding wine emerging from Washington’s vineyards also necessitates adapting to climate change to maintain the health of the vineyards and establishing a process to help educate growers on sustainability, undertaken in partnership with the Washington Winegrowers Association.

The human element
Another important aspect of Sustainable WA is the human component—how vineyards are treating their employees and the broader community, says Kelley. Certification of a vineyard includes interviews with its employees to ensure they receive adequate care through sound working conditions, proper training, fair compensation, and safety protocols.

That care and concern also extend to vineyards located beyond the immediate area. “Washington State is very collaborative,” Kelley says. With the bulk of the industry located on the other side of the Cascade Mountains in Eastern Washington, joint efforts are key. “You see this great collaboration between those in Eastern Washington and Western Washington,” she says. “You’ll find winemakers working together to assist with equipment, knowledge, and a helping hand.”

The Commission itself collaborates with other agencies, including Washington State, the Washington Winegrowers Association, the Washington Wine Institute—its policy and advocacy group—Auction of Washington Wines, the Washington Wine Industry Foundation, and several regional associations. Quarterly, the regions come together to decide how to jointly address the most pressing issues in the industry, not just between wineries and vineyards, but also between organizations and various agencies, Kelley says.

“We don’t feel this competitiveness you might see in other wine regions. We identify as Washington winemakers and winegrowers first, and then who’s larger or smaller second. That’s something I find unique, having been in this role for two and a half years and spending the bulk of my career in other wine-producing regions.”

This willingness to help others when needed is indeed something special, she adds.

Wine for a new generation
Looking ahead, along with climate challenges, a downturn in the global wine market is one ongoing concern. Whether due to a generational change, consumer preferences, or economic constraints, people are drinking less, or they’re reaching instead for the plethora of canned, ready-to-drink cocktails and hard seltzers.

“It’s not just Washington; it’s across our wine industry as we evolve to meet the needs of this generation as they come into wine,” Kelley says. “But we see this as cyclical and something that gives us an opportunity to size our business and make sure we’re producing the best wines in the best regions with the best varietals. It gives us a chance to reevaluate what we’re doing here in Washington.”

Whether it’s addressing agricultural challenges such as pests, climate, or damage from smoke, or making sure marketing and sales are as effective as they can be, working closely with researchers is vital and part of WSWC’s ongoing relationships with Washington State University, UC Davis, and Oregon State University.

That said, upholding and continuing to build Sustainable WA will go a long way to ensuring the health of the wine industry for years to come. “It’s something we really needed to do, not only for our industry, but it’s also becoming more of a client requirement,” Kelley says, noting that this is particularly true in the export markets and with certain trade customers in the United States. “They want to know, ‘what are you doing for sustainability? Do you have a certification process for sustainability?’ Those are the things we’re seeing.”

This sense of camaraderie, collaboration, and commitment to working well with others is also a point of pride for the WSWC, particularly during a time of downturn across the wine industry. “It’s an accomplishment for all of us within our industry that these times have really made us reach out and work more closely with our partners,” Kelley says.

Spreading the word
Additionally, in an effort to ensure that Washington State wines are being recognized, inviting journalists and respected wine critics to participate in tastings has been very effective. The WSWC recently hosted 14 media representatives from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, the UK, Korea, and Japan at a time when concerns are being raised about the export market’s ability to pivot.

“Bringing journalists here to experience Washington State and then working closely with media—whether it be media in academia that covers research, or whether it be lifestyle media—really demonstrates our comprehensive communication plan,” Kelley says.

Education is also important, and something the WSWC has done well, she adds. As the industry and the world at large emerged from COVID, negative effects on retail and the on-premises environment included the loss of significant knowledge about Washington State wine, particularly when restaurants were shut down. Now, bringing back education and teaching about Washington State wine through dedicated team members—whether working with the Institute of Masters of Wine or with a Master of Wine (MW)—is a priority.

“We make sure people know how to sell Washington State wines. We’re a unique growing region; we have 85-plus varieties that are doing well, and 21 different American Viticultural Areas (AVAs),” says Kelley. “A big focus is about making sure people understand how to share that information with consumers.”

Goals for the coming years include building national and international recognition of Washington State wines and ensuring that locally, the WSWC maintains and even increases support for wineries and the growing community.

“How do we ensure that if a restaurant has local produce, seafood, and beef, they’re [also] supporting our local wine industry?” Kelley asks. “We’re working right now to ensure that if you’re in a restaurant and you come into the Pacific Northwest, you’ll see a section listing Washington wines available by the glass.”

At the national level, the WSWC is building awareness, both nationally and internationally. “We have our fingers on the pulse of so much within our industry, and it’s really rewarding,” Kelley says. “It’s rewarding to be able to lead this organization and work with other leaders within our industry to make sure Washington statewide is healthy, thriving, and growing. All this is incredibly important to the work we’re doing here at the Commission.”

The post Making a Splash With the Wonderful Wine of Washington State<p class="company">Washington State Wine Commission</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

The story begins in 1910, when a group of local farmers in Ellsworth, Wisconsin decided to join forces to market their milk more effectively. Together, they founded what was then a butter cooperative, a modest but forward-thinking effort to create stability and opportunity for rural families. By the mid-1960s, shifting markets and growing demand led the cooperative to pivot toward cheesemaking. The decision would define its future. “We stopped making butter and started making cheese,” Pieh explains. “We’ve been doing that now for about 60 years.”

Today, Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery operates three manufacturing facilities across Wisconsin, in Ellsworth, Menomonie, and New London, employing about 350 people altogether. The original Ellsworth plant remains famous for producing the cheese curds that gave the town its nickname, while the Menomonie facility focuses on 40-pound blocks and retail cut cheese. The New London plant, acquired in 2018, produces five-pound loaves of processed cheese for foodservice clients. Each plant represents a different chapter in Ellsworth’s evolution, but all share the same commitment to craftsmanship and quality.

What sets Ellsworth apart isn’t just its products, it’s the people behind them. As a farmer-owned cooperative, Ellsworth’s structure ensures that the success of the business flows directly back to the farms that supply its milk. The company’s 180 patron-farmers are the foundation of everything the business does.

“When a consumer buys a bag of Ellsworth cheese curds, those dollars are literally going back to the farms that are shipping the milk that’s making that cheese,” says Pieh. “And that’s a pretty cool story to tell.”

These farms aren’t the massive industrial dairies that dominate much of the modern industry. Instead, most are family-run operations located within a 100-mile radius of Ellsworth’s plants. Some have just 20 cows, while others have a few thousand, each one representing a unique family story.

Kevin Pieh has made it a point to visit as many of these farms as possible since stepping into the CEO role. “Each patron has a unique story of how they started shipping milk to Ellsworth,” he says. “Some have faced hardships or health challenges; others have inherited the farm through generations. Hearing those stories really shows how important this cooperative is to their livelihoods.”

That deep connection to the people behind the product fuels Ellsworth’s mission and values. The company’s vision, “building stronger families and brighter futures through milk,” serves as a reminder that this is about more than dairy. It’s about sustaining rural life, supporting communities, and creating something lasting together.

After decades of success and growth, Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery is entering a new chapter. The company recently embarked on a full rebranding initiative, its first in over 20 years to modernize its look and strengthen its voice in the marketplace. “We haven’t refreshed our brand in a couple of decades,” Pieh says. “We’ve been through a lot of change as an organization, and it’s time to highlight and elevate the story of who Ellsworth is.”

The rebrand is about much more than a new logo or packaging; it’s about clarity and reconnecting the brand’s identity with its cooperative roots and its people. By centering storytelling in its marketing, Ellsworth aims to make its heritage more tangible to consumers, because the creamery’s narrative isn’t just about great cheese; it’s about community. It’s about families working together, employees with decades of loyalty, and customers who trust the Ellsworth name. The updated branding will focus on those human elements while paving the way for growth into new markets.

To be sure, Ellsworth Cheese is already a household name across Wisconsin and much of the Upper Midwest, but the company’s ambitions stretch farther. “We want to expand our reach into other parts of the country and tell the rest of the U.S. what a cheese curd is and how great it is,” Pieh shares.

While cheese curds remain the company’s signature product, Ellsworth’s lineup has grown impressively broad. From specialty block cheeses and Muenster to American-style cheeses, half-moon deli horns, and flavored varieties, there’s something for every palate, and new innovations are always on the horizon. One of the most exciting developments is a cheese dip cup line, produced at the New London plant and set to launch soon.

“We’re really excited about that,” says Pieh. “It’s going to be an Ellsworth-branded cheese dip, and we’re looking at other snack cheese options like sticks, cubes, and grab-and-go items.” As consumer habits shift toward convenience and snacking, Ellsworth is well-positioned to meet that demand without sacrificing quality or authenticity.

If there’s one thing that truly defines Ellsworth Cheese, it’s the sense of connection it fosters. Whether it’s shared among friends at a ballgame or enjoyed at home during a family gathering, Ellsworth products are made to be experienced together. “I think it’s a great story that when you’re eating Ellsworth cheese, you’re most often not just by yourself,” Pieh says. “You’re either at a state fair, a restaurant with your family, or hosting a party at home. Our products bring people together.”

Indeed, few places in the world celebrate cheese quite like Ellsworth, Wisconsin. The town’s identity is inseparable from its creamery, and the pride runs deep. In 1984, the Governor of Wisconsin officially declared Ellsworth the Cheese Curd Capital of Wisconsin, a title the cooperative has carried proudly ever since. Each summer, the town hosts the Ellsworth Cheese Curd Festival, drawing more than 20,000 visitors over two days. The event, recently ranked among USA Today’s Top 10 Specialty Food Festivals in the U.S., is a vibrant showcase of local flavor and community spirit.

From cheese curd eating contests to creative culinary booths where every vendor features Ellsworth cheese curds in their dishes, the festival captures the essence of what makes this brand and this town so special. It’s a celebration of tradition, craftsmanship, and joy.

Over the decades, Ellsworth’s cheeses have earned numerous awards at national and international competitions, from the Wisconsin Cheesemakers Association to the American Cheese Society and the World Championship Cheese Contest. The company also received the Chairman’s Award from the National Milk Producers Federation, a testament to its consistent commitment to quality.

Behind those awards are the people who make it happen, a team of dedicated employees, some of whom have been with the company for more than 50 years. That longevity speaks volumes about the culture at Ellsworth, and Pieh points to those long-term employees as a cornerstone of the company’s success. “We’re proud to be a cooperative, and we’re proud to have employees who’ve stayed with us for decades,” he says. “It’s that dedication and sense of belonging that makes our products what they are.”

That sense of togetherness runs deep through the entire supply chain, from the farms that supply the milk to the employees who make the cheese to the communities that celebrate it. And Ellsworth’s cooperative model embodies that spirit. Decisions aren’t driven by distant shareholders or private investors; they’re made by and for the people who are part of the process. “It’s not a single owner driving all the decisions,” Pieh explains. “We’re not owned by a private equity company or a group of stockholders disconnected from the company. It’s really a community and a team that makes it work.”

This collaborative energy is guided by a simple but powerful set of core values: teamwork, integrity, innovation, and excellence. Every decision from hiring to investment is weighed against those principles. If it doesn’t align, it doesn’t move forward.

These days, the creamery’s two retail stores, one at the Ellsworth plant and another in Menomonie, welcome nearly half a million visitors each year. Customers stop by not just to buy cheese curds, but to experience a piece of Wisconsin’s dairy heritage firsthand. And as Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery looks ahead, its path forward is guided by both history and heart. The company’s future will continue to be defined by collaboration between farmers, employees, and the broader community. That vision is summed up in Ellsworth’s mission statement: to provide the most value for members’ milk by leveraging a tradition of excellence, so families can flourish.

It’s a philosophy that ties together every part of the business, from the cows in the fields to the customers enjoying cheese curds across the country. It’s also what makes Ellsworth’s rebranding feel like more than a marketing effort; it’s a reaffirmation of identity.

Pieh believes that as long as the company continues to tell its story authentically and proudly, it will keep building bridges between people, families, and communities. “We’re focused on safety, quality, and supporting the rural community,” he says. “At the end of the day, Ellsworth Cheese brings people together.”

Over 115 years after its founding, Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery remains a living example of what can happen when communities work together toward a shared purpose. From butter to cheese, from local favorite to national brand, the cooperative’s journey mirrors the resilience and innovation of the people who built it. With new products on the horizon, a refreshed brand, and a renewed commitment to storytelling, Ellsworth is poised to share its legacy with a wider audience than ever before. Yet even as it grows, the heart of the company remains the same: family farms, dedicated employees, and a shared love of good cheese.

In a world that’s changing faster than ever, Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery’s story is a reminder that some things like quality, community, and connection never go out of style.

The post How Ellsworth Creamery Turned Community into a Legacy<p class="company">Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Today, Avon Food Company operates with two clear identities: a steward of beloved, multi-generational consumer sauce brands including Christie’s Salad Dressing, Porino’s Pasta Sauce, Medallion Teriyaki Sauce, and Javin Curry Powder; and a respected co-packer known for helping emerging and established brands alike scale with care.

Behind that dual mission is the Anastos family, led by second-generation leadership and proudly women owned. But perhaps most importantly, Avon Food Company’s story is still being written through continual reinvestment in advanced equipment, sustainability-centered processes, collaborative culture, and ahead-of-trend product development. The result is a business that honors where it came from while confidently charting a future all its own.

Many customers still associate Christie’s with its original family founders, and that connection is something Avon Food Company cherishes. The transition began when the Christie’s brand and several sister labels fell into private equity ownership that eventually ended in liquidation. When the business went to auction, Michael Anastos’ father—Stephen Anastos—who had not previously worked in food manufacturing—saw not only an opportunity, but a responsibility to preserve something meaningful.

Vice President Michael Anastos explains, “My dad had a friend in the business who asked him to attend the auction with him. And they were the lucky winner to carry on the Christie’s brand.”

Rebuilding the brand meant more than restarting production; it meant restoring trust. Those early years were spent returning recipes to their original form, rekindling supplier relationships, and regaining shelf placement. That effort worked and the family not only saved the brand but grew it. Now in its second generation of leadership, the company employs more than 25 people and operates four production lines, with both of Michael’s parents still actively involved.

Among the most defining features of Avon Food Company today is its woman-owned leadership. “My mom owns the company,” Anastos shares. “She has owned it since the beginning. She’s the principal owner, and she still supports operations day-to-day.”

In an industry often led by men, Avon Food Company stands out for its inclusive and empowering workplace culture, with mentorship playing a central role in day-to-day operations. This is a place where every individual is encouraged to grow, develop their skills, and advance within the company.

Sales and Marketing Manager, Carson Albright, highlights the significance of this presence: “In a predominantly male industry, it is nice to see and be a part of a business with women at the core.” This leadership identity has shaped a workplace that emphasizes collaboration and empowerment, a culture that’s equally felt on the production floor and in leadership meetings.

That spirit of mentorship extends beyond gender and titles. Longtime employees often describe the company as a place where ideas are welcomed, voices are heard, and innovation is encouraged. It’s a structure that blends small-company closeness with big-company capability, reflecting the same values that define Avon’s relationships with clients and suppliers.

While the heart of Christie’s products remains unchanged, with recipes preserved as they were decades ago, the equipment and processes used to make them have evolved dramatically. Over the past three years, Avon Food Company has invested nearly $3 million in production and facility upgrades. These include electromagnetic fillers, a technology typically only seen in major global manufacturers.

“Electromagnetic filling is the leader in sanitary design,” Anastos explains. “It’s the fastest, cleanest, and most efficient way to fill, but it’s usually something you only see in the Coca-Colas of the world, and we brought it down to a smaller scale.”

Along with electromagnetic filling, the facility hosts piston and pressure overflow filling lines, energy-efficient boilers and compressors, and dual-capability capping systems for both metal and plastic lids. These investments were deliberate, not just for efficiency, but to expand what Avon Food Company can offer and to make operations more sustainable.

Indeed, the company’s commitment to environmental responsibility extends beyond energy-efficient equipment. By focusing on reduced waste and local sourcing partnerships, Avon Food Company minimizes its environmental footprint while maintaining the quality customers expect.

The company now fills everything from 5oz retail bottles to gallon jugs and bulk pails, servicing both grocery shelves and national restaurant chains. In the co-packing segment, Product Specialist Natalie Steeves and the development team assist customers from formulation to scaling to distribution, making Avon Food Company a full-service partner, not simply a producer.

Though many co-packers simply replicate formulas and produce to spec, Avon Food Company takes a more experimental and collaborative approach. “The big driver for us is asking ‘why? Why is something done this way? Could it be done better?’ We ask that every single day,” says Anastos.

This forward-thinking mindset has driven the company to explore preservative-free and clean label formulations while helping partner brands rapidly scale and refine their products. Avon Food Company also experiments with emerging flavor trends and innovative ingredient profiles, all while guiding small-batch creators through the transition to large-scale production, ensuring their handcrafted essence remains intact.

Albright and the team closely track consumer shifts through trade shows, association involvement, distributor conversations, and on-the-ground feedback. As members of the Specialty Food Association, the team has a finger on the pulse of what’s coming, whether that’s plant-based innovations, functional ingredients, or nostalgic comfort flavors making a comeback.

This agility is one advantage of being mid-sized: large enough for industrial production, yet small enough to adapt to change quickly. Avon’s team thrives on this flexibility, often piloting new products or reformulations within weeks rather than months.

The company’s recipe catalog is a unique asset, a living archive of American flavor history. Some formulas trace back nearly 75 years, developed by original Christie’s founder and food scientist Dean Christie. Others were created only months ago in collaboration with rising brands or restaurant groups. Avon Food Company has produced award-winning barbecue sauces, marinades, wing sauces, Bloody Mary mixes, and private-label lines that many consumers know, even if they don’t realize where they’re made. Many partnerships are protected under NDA, but the pride in the work is unmistakable.

“It’s really neat to collaborate with our new co-packers,” Steeves shares. “Some clients start out making as little as a gallon at a time, and we can scale their vision to 2,500 gallons. That’s one of the joys of working at a manufacturing facility.”

That blend of innovation and respect for tradition has earned Avon Food Company a trusted reputation among both up-and-coming food entrepreneurs and long-established household names. From craft startups debuting their first product to national brands expanding into new markets, Avon serves as the quiet force helping them make it happen.

Last year, Avon Food Company earned its first SQF certification, one of the most recognized and comprehensive food safety standards in the world. This year, the company raised the bar again by adding the Quality certification component, a step that only around 12 percent of manufacturers nationwide have taken.

“We wanted to be proactive about quality—not just meet expectations, but exceed them,” says Anastos. “Some people get SQF just to have it; we went after it so we can sleep at night. It’s about integrity and transparency.”

The certification reflects not only Avon’s dedication to safety but also its holistic approach to quality management. Every stage, from ingredient sourcing to final packaging, is governed by strict standards and meticulous oversight, and clients benefit from the assurance that their products are being made in one of the most advanced, compliant facilities in the region.

Behind every bottle and batch are relationships that make the company’s success possible. Avon Food Company works closely with family-owned suppliers like Holden Fruit and Produce, which provides fresh produce and ingredients tailored to the company’s exacting specifications. As Steeves notes, “They have been incredibly supportive and flexible partners. Aside from having high quality ingredients, they are always helping us to refine our process.”

On the equipment side, partners like DTM Packaging have been instrumental in helping Avon design customized machinery for its unique production needs. These collaborations reflect a broader company philosophy that strong partnerships lead to stronger products.

Equally important are the people inside the facility. “It makes me really happy when we have a group of people that love what they do,” says Anastos. “Culture has been number one for us from the beginning.”

That emphasis on culture isn’t lip service. Michael Anastos is known for being out on the floor, working hands-on with team members, solving problems side by side. “He’s amazing with the machines. He works closely with the team to teach our machine operators how everything works,” says Albright.

Steeves continues, “It’s pretty rare to have leadership so involved in the day-to-day.”

Looking ahead, Avon Food Company is focused on scaling with purpose by expanding its range of natural, preservative-free products, strengthening co-packing partnerships, and growing the presence of its beloved Christie’s brand. At the same time, the company remains deeply committed to nurturing its people through collaboration, and to the hands-on leadership that keeps a family-centered culture at the heart of everything it does. That focus on balance between growth and grounding, innovation and integrity, may be what defines Avon’s next chapter most of all.

The company’s evolution is proof that food manufacturing doesn’t have to sacrifice humanity for progress. It’s a business model that values curiosity, transparency, and relationships as much as revenue. In a marketplace where so many legacy brands fade into corporate anonymity, Avon Food Company continues to do what it has always done best: make great food, made by good people.

Through legacy and leadership, Avon Food Company stands as proof that the best future for the food industry is one that honors its past, invests in its people, questions what’s possible, and cares deeply about what it makes.

The post Raising the Bar on Quality<p class="company">Avon Food Company</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

In a small but growing city in South Carolina, Spartanburg Meat Processing is churning out their well-loved, fully-cooked, baby back ribs under their Licensed brands, Larry the Cable Guy and TGI Fridays. TGI Friday, already boasting their famous baby back and St. Louis pork ribs, have recently expanded their product line to include chicken tenders and leg quarters, along with meal kits. The additional products have meant both expansion and innovation for Spartanburg Meat Processing.

“Now under the TGI Friday’s brand, we are supplying three chicken tender options in regular, Italian-breaded and Kickin’ Chicken which are found in the frozen food aisles,” shares Joanne LaBounty, Spartanburg Meat’s CEO and Founder. “We’ve also just introduced a meal kit that includes fully-cooked chicken breast fillets with an accompanying two-pound package of mac ‘n cheese.”

While increased business during a pandemic was comforting, it also presented challenges. “In March of 2020 while in the early stages of the virus, customer order quantities started to triple,” says LaBounty. “By April, our normal two-week lead time had grown to ten weeks, which was certainly disappointing for customers trying to market and sell their products.” With steadfast determination and quick thinking, today the company is managing a four-week lead time and maintaining a 99 percent fill rate.

But the rapidly changing dynamics in the food industry were a wake-up call for the need to diversify the company’s food portfolio. It was time to take a serious look at what was changing in the market and then to find innovative ways to adapt to those changes. Business Development Manager, Mallory Smith, proposed some new ideas for the certified woman-owned business and they have translated to double-digit growth for the company.

The first initiative was to create a trade division that could maximize the company’s certifications as both woman-owned and a small business. Coupled with their HUBZone certification, this new aspect of the business opened the gateway to supporting state and federal institutions in their procurement needs. “As a woman-owned, small business in a HUBZone, buying agencies can check off all three of those boxes which helps them meet commitment goals and percentages,” explains LaBounty. “Providing this service is a win/win.”

Via the trading division, the company can now pursue contracts of all sizes including ones that others may overlook. “We had plenty of experience and knowledge in utilizing PPE equipment when the pandemic arose,” LaBounty shares. “That led to an opportunity to become a Tier 1 supplier of PPE equipment to the local BMW plant.”

The second business development initiative was a little bit sweeter – both in product and financial results. The company launched Voulez-Vous Foods, a decadent dessert line geared to an adult audience. The statistics about food and drink consumption habits during COVID are public knowledge – increased eating of comfort food desserts and imbibing of alcoholic beverages. The Voulez-Vous product line combines the two and now offers the aptly-named cakes of Cookies and Cream Martini and Late Night Bourbon. The first utilizes vanilla vodka, while the second contains a top-of-the-line bourbon. Though the alcohol percentage is minimal, a half percent, the combination of sweet comfort food with a splash of intoxication is drawing huge interest in the market.

Spartanburg Meat Processing feels extremely fortunate having retained their team while surviving a global pandemic. In addition to pay increases, the company prides itself in their corporate culture – treating employees like family. Five rounds of bonuses during COVID-19 have proven to be rewarding for employees and the company as a whole. Company leadership understands the importance of incentive programs to retain staff.

As if the global pandemic wasn’t enough of a challenge for Spartanburg Meat Processing, a recent occurrence of African Swine Fever reared its ugly head. The highly-contagious virus affects pigs, but luckily cannot transmit to humans. China lost half the country’s pig livestock in 2018/19 when a devastating transmission swept the country. The result of the current transmission is a tight market for raw materials and a substantial rise in the price of pork.

While keeping their business robust during a pandemic and a swine flu outbreak took a lot of innovative thinking and hard work, Spartanburg Meat already had a good foundation on which to build, having built strong relationships with both customers and suppliers based on their core values. What sets the company apart from others? Many companies espouse their values and commitments, but Spartanburg Meat puts them into action. When it comes to the food industry, competition is strong, and the company’s research and development team works closely with clients to ensure that recipes and flavor profiles align with each customer’s “desired taste”. Add the company’s commitment to transparency, open communication and reliability to the mix and you have the perfect recipe for enhancing customer loyalty.

While many in the food service industry are feeling permanent downsides from the pandemic, Spartanburg Meat Processing is preparing for an expansion. CEO LaBounty states, “The blueprints have been drawn and we are working with an architect and a designer to move forward.” There is also a succession plan in place that will keep the company within the family. “Everything relating to management is set up in perpetuation. It will be a seamless transfer with my son as General Manager, my son-in-law heading up Procurement, my daughter overseeing Accounting, and Mallory, my daughter-in-law, continuing her role in Business Development.” The talents and experience of this next generation will allow the company to keep expanding their wheelhouse, making them even more sustainable going forward.

The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce has recognized Spartanburg Meat Processing with nominations for awards in categories including Top 50 Fastest Growing Companies, Roaring Twenties and Excellence in Business. In 2019, Joanne LaBounty was honored with a Trailblazer Award by the Greater Women’s Business Council.

Recognized as a leader in the meat processing industry, Spartanburg Meat Processing sees its future as one of growth and diversity. “We are still standing,” says LaBounty. “We are your go-to, ready-to-eat, made-to-order meat team. Tell us how we can help you.”

The post Stick-to-Your-Ribs Meat and Desserts – How One Company Expanded and Diversified During a Worldwide Pandemic<p class="company">Spartanburg Meat Processing</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Using the freshest ingredients – never frozen – David’s Burgers takes the flavors and food memories that survived in the traditions of his family and brings them to diners across Central Arkansas.

David’s Burgers was born when David Alan Bubbus decided to transition away from his career in finance just over a decade ago. Seeking a new beginning for himself and his family, a suggestion from a family member prompted him to consider a completely new direction.

The Bubbus family had a long history of successful food and restaurant ventures and there was a wealth of knowledge and experience from which he could draw. And, of course, he had a family, including his father, David Bubbus Sr. (called the “The Butcher Boy,” because he attained master butcher status at the age of sixteen), that would stand behind him every step of the way.

Family history
With family history on its side, David’s Burgers came to be. It was an affirmation of Bubbus Sr. and his sixty-plus years of achievements, as well as the fame David had gained for his family cookouts where he offered simple fare made with the best ingredients, prepared with love, and delivered with care – exactly what the restaurant set out to do.

“We take pride in offering a very focused menu. We feel like we can do a few things very well and want to continue to put that same intention behind out great burgers, fries, and chicken sandwiches,” explained Kala Strickland, director of guest relations and sales.

The strategy has been successful, seeing the company grow to ten locations in Central Arkansas in ten years. Its most recent location in Hot Springs is set to open soon and will provide that same exceptional quality and service.

From the unique quality of its ingredients and standard of its menu selection, to its culture, people, and service delivery, everything is intentional at David’s Burgers. Intentional growth, in particular, is the reason for its ability to replicate success across its locations as it expands.

Enter the commissary
Key to this growth is a well-designed infrastructure which is enabled by its commissary approach. Each of the restaurants locations is serviced by a centrally located commissary that provides freshly prepared ingredients on demand. No freezers and no microwaves – at David’s Burgers, only the freshest ingredients will do.

“When I first started, we were doing everything in house, prepping food in house, and as a manager that sometimes gets overwhelming,” said President of Site Services Will Davis, who has grown with the company.

The commissary facilitated a shift in focus for management, who could instead focus on the guest relationship with confidence knowing that food quality would be optimal and that they could optimize space in their restaurant sites as well.

“We have a team,” Davis says, “that works everyday trying to find the best possible products available. We try to source locally – from local farms and local distributors – and we’re constantly trying to find the best possible ingredients to put out there.”

That includes freshly ground Grade A choice chuck and the use of a proprietary, patent-pending burger tool in the preparation of its burgers, as well as a new, delicious, chicken sandwich offering and never-ending fresh-cut Idaho potato fries.

At David’s Burgers, you really can’t go wrong. That’s especially true when it comes to price. Despite rising food costs and supply constraints, prices at David’s Burgers remain fair and portion sizes remain ample to ensure that its guests don’t go home hungry.

“The owners give us permission to just love on our guests,” explained Creative Director Ryan Rooney of the freedom to deliver a truly authentic guest experience, and the positive work culture that empowers team members to go above and beyond for guests.

People business
“While we are in the burger business, we’re mostly in the people business and we want to make sure our crew is taken care of as well as our guests,” Strickland says. This can be said to be particularly true of the way David’s Burgers pivoted during the COVID pandemic.

When in-person dining was temporarily halted, the team at David’s Burgers prioritized the safety of its guests and associates, while also improving access to its affordable, delicious menu items. As Rooney explains it, “we beefed up our drive through.” The company also established a partnership with Door Dash to provide delivery.

Now that lobbies have reopened to in-person service – whether guests choose to order at the nostalgically designed glass meat counter, or opt for the expanded drive through, or go for delivery – the only thing that’s changed is the personal protective equipment (PPE) now donned by staff. David’s Burgers locations have always been immaculate examples of perfectly cleaned and cared for food venues.

For the love of chicken
Not only has David’s Burgers expanded, the Bubbus family has embarked on a new venture – Jess’s Chicken. Jess’s will bring the commitment to quality, safety, and service that guests have come to expect and will once again pay homage to the family’s past.

According to Strickland, “Chicken has been in our DNA since the beginning. Before we ever had the burger restaurants, Mr. David had a chain of chicken restaurants that we called Chicken Country.” So successful was the project, in fact, that it had grown to 67 locations before its acquisition by Church’s.

“Mr. David always had a love of chicken,” Strickland says, “so with the new restaurant he’s able to focus on the chicken while at David’s we can focus on his time being a master butcher. It’s a different venture, a different avenue of what we love to do.”

Named for David Alan Bubbus’ wife, Jessica, who has been a pillar of the company’s success, as well as the growth and wellbeing of the family, it remains a truly family affair. Guests and team members are an extension of that family.

“We’re excited about having that same kind of intention towards our guests and crew,” says Strickland of the opportunity to transplant the energy of David’s Burgers into the Jess’s Chicken concept. “While the food offerings may be different and while it may operationally work a little differently, that heart that beats at David’s will be the same at Jess’s.”

Future focus
With a tenth store on the way and Jess’s Chicken set to launch, the team at David’s Burgers is ever focused on the future, and optimistic that they will have a starring recipe for success at both brands.

“As we look at growth and where we want to be in a few years, we want to make sure that we have our existing stores, and that the footprint we have here is super successful and strong.

“But we are also always looking at different markets we want to be in, where we can recreate the hub of stores and the way that it works here,” says Strickland.

“It’s that attention to detail and making sure that we get those little things right at every level of what we’re doing operationally. From Will’s team in the commissary to how Ryan designs and markets our stores and the food, we’re about service and how we take care of the guest,” Strickland says.

This has come to be the standard at David’s Burgers, and it is what can be expected of Jess’s Chicken and any other venture the Bubbus family undertakes because they approach life and business with an open heart and the best intentions.

All this simply great food, served with warmth, has made for a great family legacy to be enjoyed by everyone lucky enough find themselves in Central Arkansas. And it comes from the Bubbus family to yours.

The post A Recipe for Success – Great, Simple Food<p class="company">David’s Burgers</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

California-based United Service Technologies (UST) has been a pioneer in machine servicing for over twenty-five years. In bringing together service and technology, the company intends to live up to its name and help foster the next generation of American technicians.

Like many businesses, this one started as a way to solve a single problem. Owner and Vice President Rodger Smelcer formed the company with partner Robert Heidkamp in 1995 to eradicate the multiple operations and service fees that manufacturers imposed on grocery machine repair. “Our idea was to eliminate one of these fees and service both with one technician, independent of the manufacturer.” This way, the two men thought, their businesses could aid grocery chains in saving money and decreasing machine downtime.

The fledgling company had modest beginnings, initially servicing commercial food equipment in 21 supermarkets across Southern California. “After testing our idea, we showed we could save them over 24 percent overall,” Smelcer remarks. News of its success spread rapidly, and the company more than quadrupled in size in its first two years, performing over $1.5 million worth of service in its second year alone. Since then, UST has developed fixed-price and tiered service models, and Smelcer says that this is unique among grocery machine repair businesses. “It’s a big differentiator between us and our competition.”

Faced with the limits of mid-nineties computers, United Service Technologies adapted quickly, a trait that became its trademark. “We built our own internal field service management software that we managed all of our calls with,” Smelcer says, and this enabled the company to track repair results in real time. Over the past five years, it has been employing advanced field service management software using artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality, and mixed reality. “We’re uniting service and technology to give our customers the best of what we can do with service with technology attached to it,” he adds.

Today, UST services grocery stores close to its headquarters in Southern California, the grocery store density capital of the world; however, its reach also extends throughout the Southwest to Arizona, Nevada, Texas, and North with new inroads in Idaho. In total, it enjoys $19 million in revenue annually.

The company prides itself on its single-mindedness, servicing grocery food preparation equipment with no involvement in refrigeration or heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). It has carved out its place and intends to remain there. “We’ve really narrowed into what we do well, which is hot-side food equipment service in the grocery industry,” he says. “You’d be hard-pressed to find another company in the country that has that same focus.”

A key reason for this niche is the stability of the grocery sector itself. Smelcer relates that, early on, he and his partners calculated that the United States experiences an annual population growth of roughly four percent. With this guaranteed annual expansion in its customer base, UST could predict steady revenue increases. “We had four percent growth built in,” he says, elaborating that while businesses and technologies may rise and fall, “you have to eat.”

As part of its mandate, United Service Technologies continues to implement the newest technology and push the bounds of existing technologies to fit them to its business model. The Help Lightning app, designed for iPads but also compatible with Android devices, allows technicians on the job to use practical augmented reality to present a clear picture to any other company employee. This cutting-edge virtual presence means that its more experienced technicians can take a backseat digital support role, using their experience as needed to guide newer technicians in the field.

Using mixed reality, digital support technicians can superimpose their own hands into live video, demonstrating exactly what to do and how to do it. “Both the trainee and the trainer could hold up a bolt in real-time and compare them,” Smelcer says.

In addition to this existing tool, UST is using no-code application software to create custom service apps for its technicians. Without requiring coding experience, the company’s service professionals can apply their experience and build programs best suited for changing service environments. It also uses AI technology to further augment its service technicians. When calls come in and technicians answer customers’ questions about the nature of the issue, the AI indicates parts that could fix the problem and calculates the probability of success. Eventually, the AI will reach a consensus and find a part guaranteed to fix the problem. “We can send the right technician, with the right part, to get the job done,” Smelcer states, achieving what he calls a “first-time fix.”

He is particularly proud of this utilization of experienced technicians in digital support roles, so older workers do not ‘age out’ of the workforce and trains the next generation of American technicians. The company’s average technician is 27, far lower than typical for the industry, a reflection of its approach. “We’re utilizing all this technology, and they’re attracted to that,” he says of younger applicants.

Through enhancing technicians’ resumes with experience in the latest skills, he believes that the company can build a new generation of skilled labor. He dismisses the possibility of employees gaining skills and then departing for greener pastures, placing his faith in the promise of constant development to ensure low turnover. Older employees’ role as digital support ensures they pass on their skills.

United Service Technologies uses the recording app Marco Polo for its technicians to record and post video content as part of this appeal to younger workers. “Our technicians in the field actually create content of the machines they’re working on every day, and then we take that content and turn it into training, through our learning management system,” Smelcer says. He believes that this encourages the company’s younger demographic – over 70 percent of staff are millennials.

Smelcer foresees a large potential influx of new applicants from the automobile and personal vehicle sector as it increasingly switches from the combustion engine to electric-powered vehicles. The service industry will be forced to adapt, and those mechanics, while not having the skills to service electric vehicles, will be perfect additions to UST’s business model. “We take all those displaced people and fill the gap,” he says. “All of those trained mechanics have to go somewhere.”

Industry, in general, is automating, and United Service Technologies is beginning to see itself as a “healthcare provider for robots,” he says. “We have programs in place in our business that line up with healthcare-type names.” Total Care, for example, offers parts and care for a fixed price – Smelcer jokes that it is similar to a health maintenance organization. “We provide parts, labor, and travel for everything you need.” This custom model of service is distinctive in the industry and promises to expand as technology progresses.

Its Personal Care model is largely the same as its more comprehensive cousin but adjusts bi-yearly based on usage. “You can, as a company, do things to affect your total cost, and the way we achieve that is by tracking avoidable costs,” Smelcer explains. “By tracking those, and making the customer aware of some of the solutions to solving those things we’re tracking, they can affect their total costs.”

UST’s forward-thinking approach, as well as its chosen sector, has supported it in not merely surviving but growing in 2020. Given the wide service area, Smelcer says that company leadership knew it was only a matter of time before the virus affected it and so put pre-emptive measures in place. “We weren’t running around crying wolf, but we were saying ‘the sky might be falling’ before the sky was actually falling,” he says. These measures and constant communication with customers have kept employees safe and on the job.

Thanks to United Service Technologies’ resiliency and the growth in the grocery store sector sparked by the pandemic – over 30 percent in 2020, according to Smelcer – the company is expanding smoothly, and its embrace of technology means that new hires can be trained much more quickly. The union of artificial intelligence and augmented reality, he declares, is a powerful one. “Through those two things, we can ramp up a new technician from zero productivity in less than three months, with no prior experience in the industry at all.”

As United Service Technologies celebrates its twenty-sixth year, the company has certainly found its strength and is working to move forward. By bringing together experienced staff and innovative technology, it is working to forge the next generation of American technicians and service personnel. American industry is automating at an accelerating rate, and these may very well be the skilled workers needed for the jobs of tomorrow.

The post Bringing Advanced Technology to the Grocery Sector<p class="company">United Service Technologies</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

“A lot has been going on at our company,” says Brunnquell, including the recent acquisition of Peckish, a company that produces premium hard-cooked eggs found in the grab-and-go aisle of groceries and convenience stores. Described as a “reimagining” of the hard-cooked egg, Peckish adapted the way eggs are cooked so the yolk is creamier, and offers two eggs in a packet with a set of five different flavors or spices for dipping.

“That’s the innovation part of Egg Innovations,” says Brunnquell of the product set to unroll across the nation in upcoming months. “We want to be anything but a commodity, and Peckish is more of an idea place.”

Although there are other free-range companies in the business, Egg Innovations is the “grandfather,” with about 30 years of experience, although still not a household name. Brunnquell says it’s time to tell their story a little bit better, including the reason behind the company’s core premise.

“In the free-range space, we’re advocates that every animal on this Earth is hardwired to certain behaviors,” he says. “In the case of the chicken, it’s hardwired to perch, to scratch, to socialize. When you let it do these things, good things happen.”

Brunnquell allows those good things to happen with his 65 layer barns housing 20,000 birds each in Indiana, Kentucky and Wisconsin, where the birds have access to the outdoors every day. The unique barns feature dedicated perch areas, scratch areas and pasture areas where the animals are free to be themselves and thrive in the process.

“What it really shows is when you treat the animals well and you really are all in on welfare, you unlock their genetic potential,” he says. “These animals aren’t stressed or pushed to these levels. They were just showing us when you treat them right, this is what they can do.”

Egg Innovations truly enjoys its leadership role in this space, including being at the front end of launching a regenerative egg via regenerative agriculture, a practice that looks to fight climate change and improve the planet’s ecosystem.

“We were always passionate about healthy pastures for our hens to get outside and enjoy sunshine and shade, and crawl and explore underneath things and on top of things and perch,” explains Brunnquell. “When we really began looking at regenerative agriculture, it occurred to us we have over 1,200 acres of pasture under our management to work with.”

The company is now adapting its pastures to regenerative environments with carbon sequestration to promote healthy, improved soil that can, in a small way, be part of a solution to the climate change issue.

This past year, the onset of the pandemic added its own unique challenges to the already challenging nature of farming. All companies in some manner changed their practices for COVID-19, says Brunnquell, whether it was limiting the number of workers, using masks, or practicing social distancing. Egg Innovations, determined to maintain close relationships, has managed to safely maintain connections with the farmer community that produces its eggs. Although the pandemic has raised safety concerns for the farmers and those relationships, Brunnquell has ensured his farmers were healthy, their eggs had homes, that they continued to receive checks, and they could help meet demand for the market in spring when there was hoarding.

“I would say the thing we’re proudest of this year is just innumerable stories of individual interactions between our employees and staff and the family farmers that we work with,” he says. “The more this crazy world gets automated, the more we’re in the people business. There’s just nothing that replaces a handshake, or in today’s world, a Zoom call. There’s always a real person at the other end, and it’s easy to lose sight of that. This past year was a very trying time on relationships.”

In that way, one of Egg Innovations’ biggest successes was staying focused on finding commonalities and reinforcing relationships for the long term. Video technology is useful and necessary right now, but Brunnquell says it was also easy to get out and talk with farmers and have a physical presence while maintaining a safe social distance. Although video has indeed allowed the company to increase points of contact — you can talk to someone in Philadelphia at 10am, and then someone on the west coast at 11 — nothing replaces face-to-face. “The human side is where the real story is,” he says.

Going into 2021, a significant portfolio expansion includes moving into a full line of institutional products with frozen eggs, liquid eggs, and powdered eggs. “We really want to give people who are passionate about animal welfare an opportunity,” says Brunnquell. “The more choices on how to exercise that decision, the better. We’re very proud of the corner that we’re taking over.”

There is always resistance to change in an industry, however, and the biggest one involves money. Brunnquell says he understands that the largest players in the United States are going to be slow to move to what Egg Innovations does, reluctant to undertake a massive investment in cages, then moving to cage-free, and possibly all the way to free range and pasture.

“We also recognize that in this environment we have 10 percent unemployment, we have people who need to buy 89 cent eggs,” he says. “However, we also recognize that more and more consumers are a lot more demanding and have expectations about issues beyond just food.”

Brunnquell’s experience growing up involved finding the cheapest food for a family’s tight budget. Today, people are much more aware of what’s happening on the planet and how animals are being taken care of, which greatly influences personal and family food purchasing habits.

“This generation is smart enough to know that you can take care of animals and still produce them in an economic manner. Hopefully we’re part of an example of how to do that, how to pay a living wage to our farmers, how to do it efficiently by vertical integration and still get it out to the consumer at an affordable price.”

Within the industry, Brunnquell sees owners older than himself who are in the stages of turning over the business to children in their forties. While the patriarch might claim cage-free is a “little bit silly,” and perhaps doesn’t understand why people would pay for it, sons and daughters who are stepping into those leadership roles say they’re looking forward to the day when they get to make those decisions – and they will be making changes.

“Cage-free is going to take the dominant part of the conversation, but it’s about the rising tide raising all boats,” says Brunnquell. “There’s going to be a set of consumers who say going cage-free is nice for those birds, but they’re still confined and they’re still not going outside. I want something better. So, free range and pasture are expanding as well.”

Free range and pasture offer numerous benefits for the birds, including no severe feather-pecking, low mortality rates, and birds outperforming caged flocks by two percent on average.

Brunnquell understands consumers have different expectations than they did 20 years ago, and are willing to pay a reasonable amount more as long as it’s legitimate. The problem, he says, centers around a vast misunderstanding of the different terminology used.

“We need to continue to educate consumers. In our research, 83 percent of consumers who hear cage-free think free range. They hear cage-free, but they think those birds go outside. As that education process continues, we want to be there again with the diversity of products that we can [use to] bring the cost down and bring the variety up so that it’s a lot easier for people to integrate animal welfare into their normal purchasing habits.”

This year, Brunnquell is also looking forward to the company’s rebranding, as it traditionally flew under the radar with about 85 percent of its sales under private labels. “While we had a brand, we weren’t putting a focus on it and really telling our story.” In November of last year, the company initiated a relaunch of the Blue Sky Brand and is beginning to tell that story again of animal welfare and what farmers can do with the hens and the eggs.

“We’re very uniquely positioned as the only company in the nation that has the business chops but also the scientific and academic background,” Brunnquell says. “We really do understand why a hen doesn’t go out in the middle of the day, but goes out late in the afternoon, and why they exercise a variety of behaviors. We want to share that story with consumers that there’s a brand out there that’s going to take away a lot of the noise and try to really make it clean.”

The post Good Eggs: Treating Chickens With Kindness<p class="company">Egg Innovations</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Jensen Meat experienced a steady growth rate over the years, but that has recently started to pick up speed. Of its five hundred employees, in fact, over one hundred have joined in the last two years.

At the outset of the pandemic, there was a fear of the unknown in regards to working conditions, and the company immediately took action and increased its safety measures significantly to protect its team and alleviate concerns about working in a plant. “Some employees were scared and did not want to be at work if they felt unsafe, so one of the big things we wanted to do is make our employees feel safe. We wanted them to know that we’re doing everything in our power to protect them,” said Vice President of Executive Accounts Patricia Lavigne. Jensen Meat added two nurses to the payroll; all employees were tested for COVID-19, and daily temperature checks were performed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the business landscape across every industry. Supply chains have been disrupted, regulations are changing, and the advice on best practices continues to shift as new data becomes available. In this new world, many businesses are struggling to survive, and only the strongest and most adaptable have been able to make the necessary changes to address these issues.

Jensen Meat Company has seen a thirty percent increase in retail demand and a significant decrease in foodservice sales. Another change in the market is that obtaining various materials has become difficult as the food industry works out the kinks brought on by new rules and lockdowns all over the country.

The regulatory changes happening within the food market have proven to be no challenge for the company as food safety has always been a priority. “We like to stay ahead of the new regulations, and go over and beyond the USDA on standards. That’s one thing where Jensen will consistently make sure we’re trying to be ahead of the game,” said Lavigne.

The company has exciting news for the industry of plant-based alternatives. It is currently breaking ground on its new plant-based division, and the doors will open in April of this year. The plant will have an initial capacity of over fifteen million pounds, and there are plans to make this facility accessible to other emerging plant-based food companies. Using a collaborative effort, Jensen Meat aims to help improve the production skills of other companies in this field and the plant-based industry as a whole.

“We have learned from working with plant-based that many companies have funding to develop products and the market, but when it comes to production, they are limited in funds to open a production facility. This is where our Jensen plant-based division comes into play. Giving support and capacity for these companies to fulfill their production needs,” explained Lavigne.

Jensen Meat also offers products that contain a smaller amount of meat combined with more plant-based alternatives. It recently released its Angus beef and mushroom patties to give people the opportunity to reduce their meat consumption without going completely vegetarian or vegan. The blended patties are sixty percent Angus beef and forty percent mushroom, giving them improved sustainability and cost without sacrificing taste people know.

“They’re the best of both worlds for flexitarians who want to get more veggies in their diet, but want to enjoy their favorite hamburger. They give you the savory, rich, mushroom Umami taste, are low in sodium, have less saturated fat, increased fiber, and allow people to eat healthier without requiring a lifestyle change,” said Lavigne.

The company is known for its commitment to sustainability, transparency, and innovation in the market. “Recycling is an obvious part of Jensen’s sustainability initiatives, but there are others that affect the company, such as employee engagement, supply chain practices, operational efficiency, resource consumption and waste, philanthropy, packaging, and facility design,” said Lavigne.

Recently, Jensen Meat added carports with solar paneling in its parking lot, and these are harvesting over fifty percent of the company’s electricity needs. Another one of its progressive actions is to add eight electric car charging stations to encourage employees to purchase electric vehicles.

In 2013, when the company moved to its new, state-of-the-art, 150,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in southern San Diego, it considered environmental consciousness every step of the way. This included all sourcing, design, and production decisions. For example, it selected low volatile organic compound paint for office walls to reduce indoor pollution, and it chose FLOR tiles to achieve a carbon footprint lower than that of importing products from overseas. FLOR tiles are made of recycled fibers and ninety-five percent of the product is manufactured in the U.S. The company’s vow of sustainability extends well beyond production and into every facet of its culture.

“Sustainability is essential in our industry, and it’s good business practice. We are proud to be leaders in our field, reducing costs while ensuring our customers get top-quality, beef products. We try to be strategic about how we do this, so that our company can do its part within the larger picture of our children’s future and the planet they’re going to inherit,” explained Lavigne.

Safety, sustainability, and innovation are the core principles derived from the leadership of the company’s Chief Executive Officer Abel Olivera. Olivera believes in a culture of personal accountability and encourages all of the company’s employees to be leaders themselves, giving them incentives to go above and beyond in all aspects of their work to create the most satisfactory customer experience. By making leaders out of his people, he has built a motivated workforce and this has led to the company’s success and ongoing expansion. Each department can operate freely and make informed decisions independently.

As the industry becomes more transparent with its processes, customers grow more curious about the specifics of production. Every day, despite the adage, people are becoming more and more interested in knowing exactly how the sausage is made.

“Consumers continue to care more and more about the provenance of their food and what happens to it at the processing plant, and we’re committed to transparency and ethics in this area,” said Lavigne.

Operating from one of the most modern plants west of the Mississippi, Jensen Meat will continue to be a leader in the field of meat production and is excited to delve into the new world of plant-based alternatives. The long-term goal is to expand into other countries and eventually help to solve the worldwide hunger and malnutrition problems with a healthier and more economical protein, whether meat-based or plant-based.

The post This Leader in the Field of Meat Production is Expanding into Plant-Based Alternatives<p class="company">Jensen Meat Company</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.