100 companies managed to rise to the top.

Meatingplace 100 

Through 2011, 

one of the most 

turbulent years 

in the industry’s 

history, these 

100 companies 

managed to 

rise to the top. 

✿✿ 

Rankings 

reflect red meat 

and poultry 

production and are 

based on sales. 

✿✿ 

The “n/a” notation 

appears when 

companies did 

not appear in last 

year’s rankings. 

✿✿ 

Company 

information is 

self-reported via 

survey. Should 

companies elect 

not to participate, 

Meatingplace consults 

third-party 

market research to 

derive an estimate. 

By Meatingplace editors 

You have to know the players if 

you want to play the game. 

In this issue, the Meatingplace 

100 ranking of the industry’s 

largest processors (pg. 68) 

provides our audience with the 

most accurate roster available. 

Top to bottom, the 2012 

edition of the M100 is a map to 

this industry’s fast-changing 

landscape. The big have gotten 

bigger (Tyson), some companies 

in the middle have all but 

disappeared (Townsends), and 

the smaller firms on the list — 

still not tiny at $100 million in 

annual revenues — are holding 

their own. Because the ranking 

is based on 2011 revenues, some 

of the players included here 

were subsequently benched 

(that is, sold), such as Cagle’s 

and Odom’s Tennessee Pride, in 

2012, or like Beef Products Inc. 

and AFA Foods, put on the DL; 

those changes will be reflected 

in next year’s list. 

Others have changed the 

name on the jersey: If you’re 

looking for Sioux-Preme 

Packing Co., check under 

Natural Food Holdings. 

Other changes to the M100 

have been internally generated. 

We revamped the look of the 

list, of course, and reorganized 

it in order to include more 

information of interest to our 

audience. We have the number 

of people employed in the meat 

processing operations and the 

locale of major meat plants. 

In the accompanying 

sidebars, we go into more detail 

about some of the major events 

of 2011 that affect some companies’ 

revenue picture. 

In an industry where most 

of the companies are privately 

held, no ranking of companies 

by sales figures can be guaranteed 

as perfectly accurate. 

Quite a few companies’ data is 

denoted by an asterisk to indicate 

that its executives declined 

to provide the information. 

In those cases the data was 

gathered via our staff editors’ 

research efforts. 

June 2012 meatingplace 67


2012 

Rank 

2011 

Rank Company name Sales 2011 Sales 2010 Employees CEO name, title Major Facilities Major brand names/product lines 

1 1 Tyson Foods Inc., Springdale, AR 32,266.0 28,430.0 115,000 

2 2 JBS USA, Greeley, CO 23,846.0 23,000.0 61,295 

Donnie Smith, president 

and CEO 

Don Jackson, president 

and CEO 

3 3 Cargill Inc. 1 , Wichita, KS 15,000.0 15,000.0 34,000 Jody Horner, president 

4 4 

Smithfield Foods Inc., 

Smithfield, VA 

12,202.7 10,752.0 36,000 

C. Larry Pope, president 

and CEO 

Perry, IA; Lexington, NE.; Council Bluffs, 

IA; Madison, NE.; Emporia, KS.; Dakota 

Dunes, SD 

Plainwell, MI.; Souderton, PA.; 

Marshalltown, IA; Grand Island NE; 

Greeley, CO. 

Dodge City, KS.; Ottumwa, IA; Friona, TX; 

Schuyler, NE.; Beardstown, IL. 

Tar Heel, NC, Kinston, NC, Smithfield, VA, 

Landover, MD; Cumming, GA 

Fresh and fully cooked chicken products, fully cooked 

beef products, bacon, prepared meals 

Fresh beef and pork under the Swift brand; La Herencia 

fresh chorizo and marinated skirt steak; commodity beef 

and pork 

Fresh beef and ground beef under brands including 

Sterling Silver; fresh pork under brands including; turkey 

products under brands including Shady Brook Farms 

Pork products under brands including Farmland 

Smithfield, Eckrich, Armour, John Morrell, Cook’s, 

Gwaltney 

Changing Face 

of 

The 

U.S. Poultry 

5 5 Sysco Corp 2 , Houston, TX 11,000.0 10,000.0 46,000* 

Richard J. Schnieders, 

chairman and CEO 

Irvine, CA.; Northwood, OH; Plant City, FL 

Fresh and processed beef, pork, chicken, turkey, veal, 

buffalo 

*estimate 

6 6 ConAgra Foods Inc. 3 , Omaha, NE 7,996.9 8,000.0 2,500 Gary Rodkin, CEO 

7 7 Hormel Foods Corp., Austin, MN 7,900.0 7,200.0 19,500 

8 8 

8 10 

National Beef Packing Co., 

Kansas City, MO 

Keystone Foods LLC, 

West Conshohocken, PA 

Jeffrey M. Ettinger, 

chairman of the board,, 

president and CEO 

6,800.0 5,800.0 9,100 Timothy Klein, CEO 

6,400.0 4,800.0 13,000 

9 9 OSI Group, Aurora, IL 5,900.0* 5,800.0 5,500 

10 11 

Perdue Farms Inc., 

Salisbury, MD 

Larry S. McWilliams, 


Sheldon Lavin, chairman 

and CEO 

5,420.0 4,600.0 18,906 Jim Perdue, CEO 

11 13 Sara Lee Corp. 4 , Chicago, IL 4,434.0 2,800.0 8,500 

Marcel Smits, CEO of Sara 

Lee Corp. 

Quincy, MI; Macon, MO; Milton, PA; Troy, 

OH; Russelville, AR 

Austin, MI; Fremont, NE; Beloit, WI 

Dodge City, KS; Liberty, KS; Brawley, CA; 

Hummels Wharf, PA; Moultrie, GA 

West Chester, PA; North Baltimore, OH 

Chicago, IL; West Chicago, IL; Oakland 

IA; West Jordan, UT; Fort Atkinson, WI; 

Hurlock, MD; Batesburg, SC 

Dothan, AL, Milford, DE, Georgetown, DE, 

Perry, Ga., Washington, IN, Cromwell, KY, 

Salisbury, MD, Lewiston, NC, etc. 

Newbern, TN; Zeeland, MI; Storm Lake, 

IA; St. Joseph, MO 

12 12 Oscar Mayer 5 , Madison, WI 3,328.0 716.0 8,000 Nick Meriggioli, president Madison, WI Oscar Mayer 

13 14 Foster Farms, Livingston, CA 2,200.0 2,200.0 12,000 Ron Foster, CEO 

14 15 

American Foods Group LLC, 

Alexandria, MN 

2,100.0 2,100.0 4,800 Thomas J. Rosen, CEO 

Livingston, CA; Turlock, CA; Farmerville, 

LA 

Wisconsin, Ohio, Nebraska, South 

Dakota, Minnesota 

15 16 Koch Foods 6 , Park Ridge, IL 2,000.0* 1,950.0 14,000 Joseph Grendys, CEO Morristown, TN; Montgomery, AL 

16 17 

17 19 

18 21 

Sanderson Farms Inc., 

Laurel, MS 

Seaboard Foods, 

Shawnee Mission, KS 

AdvancePierre Foods Inc., 

Cincinnati, OH 

1,978.0 1,900.0 11,333 

1,744.0 1,388.0 4,050 

Joe Sanderson, chairman 

of the board of directors 

and CEO 

Terry K. Holton, president 

and CEO 

1,500.0 1,300.0 4,500 Bill Toler, CEO 

19 20 Mountaire Farms, Millsboro, DE 1,389.0 1,303.0 6,000 Paul Downes, president 

McComb, MS; Bryan, TX; Collins, MS; 

Moultrie, GA; Waco, TX; Kinston, NC 

Guymon, OK; Missoula, MT; Salt Lake 

City, UT 

Cincinnati, OH; Amherst, OH; Enid, OK; 

Oklahoma City, OK; Orange City, IA; 

Portland, ME; Claremont, NC 

Lumber Bridge, NC; Milsboro, DE; 

Selbyville, DE 

Footnotes: 1: Cargill meat operations only 2: Sysco red meat, poultry sales only 3: ConAgra consumer foods segment only 4: Sara Lee North American meat division only 5: Kraft Foods U.S. convenience segment only 6: Subsidiary acquired 

Cagle’s in May 2012 7: Filed for Ch. 11 bankruptcy in April 2012 8: BPI closed three of four plants in May 2012 9: Acquired by Sigma Alimentos in August 2010 10: Acquired by Industrias Bachoco in October 2011 11: Formerly called Gold’n Plump 

Poultry 12: Bob Evans consumer food products only 13: Formerly called Sioux-Preme Packing Co. 14: Acquired by Koch Foods subsidiary in May 2012 15: Acquired by ConAgra in April 2012 Note on ‘11 rank: Due to additions to the list, 

comparison of the ranking from year to year may not reflect change in the company’s revenue level. 

Breaded products, cured/cooked beef, pork and poultry, 

lunch meats, cooked sausage, fresh sausage 

Dinty Moore, Farmer John, Hormel Compleats 

microwave meals, refrigerated entrées, Black Label 

bacon, pepperoni, Jennie-O Turkey Store, Spam 

Fresh beef, ground beef, hides, tallow 

Beef, chicken, burgers, breaded chicken sandwiches, fish 

Customized products using beef, pork, bacon, sausage, 

poultry 

PERDUE Boneless and bone-in chicken in all cuts, fully 

cooked chicken and turkey 

Sara Lee, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm and Ball Park 

Foster Farms 

Sheboygan Sausage, Great American Steak Co., Skylark 

Meats, Dakota Brand Big City Reds, Great American 

Hamburgers 

Poultry under the Koch Poultry, Antioch Farms, Preferred 

Foods, Rogers Royal and Mr. Bennie brands 

Fresh, frozen and partially cooked chicken 

Daily’s Premium Meats bacon, ham, and sausage; Prairie 

Fresh Premium Pork and Prairie Fresh Prime-Fresh pork 

Smart Picks, Fast Fixin’, Fast Classics, Barber Foods, 

Chophouse 

Fresh, private-label chicken for retail; Black Label chicken 

for foodservice; Blue Label chicken for wholesale, Bo San 

Any point of entry✿ 

into the $35 billion dollar U.S. poultry 

market must seem appetizing. After all, 

foreign firms have gone after American 

poultry concerns like they were Buffalo 

wings at a tailgate party. 

But the economics of the chicken business 

are tough. And the last few years have 

not been the best of times. High corn prices 

triggered a spate of bankruptcies in the 

past eighteen months, including Georgiabased 

Cagle’s, Inc., Delaware-based Allen 

Family Foods and Townsends, Inc. 

Townsends Inc. was bought out by 

Peco Foods and Omtron, an affiliate of 

Agroholding Avangard, the Ukraine’s largest 

producer of eggs. Allen Family Foods 

was bought out by South Korea’s Harim and 

is now called Allen Harim Foods, LLC. 

And Fort Smith, Ark.-based O.K. Foods 

was purchased by Industrias Bachoco 

S.A.B. de C.V., a Mexico-based producer 

and processor of poultry and other food 

products. Before that, Pilgrim’s Pride 

UP: King of 

Prussia, Pa.- 

based grinder 

AFA Foods’ annual revenue 

in 2011 rose to $1.1 billion 

from $726 million in 2011. 

Corp., which filed for reorganization in 

2009, was bought by Brazilian beef and 

pork conglomerate JBS. 

“Foreign investment adds some energy 

to the business,” says the National Chicken 

Council’s Bill Roenigk. “Companies can 

take the learnings and successes they 

have had in other countries and try to make 

them work here.” 

Whether or not new foreign ownership 

can make an impact is yet to be determined. 

Just five months after investing $25 

million investment in Townsends, Omtron 

shut down operations at the American 

facilities it acquired. (And in May, Cagle’s 

sold to a subsidiary of fellow U.S. processor 

Koch Foods Inc. in a bankruptcy auction, 

signaling renewed domestic investment.) 

But Pilgrim’s Pride turned a profit in the 

first quarter of 2012, for the first time in 

over a year. It was the company’s best firstquarter 

result in seven years and ended a 

string of four consecutive quarterly losses 

totaling nearly $500 million. 

DOWN: Amid the fallout 

of the lean finely textured 

beef flap and deflated 

demand resulting from it, AFA 

Foods filed for voluntary Chapter 

11 bankruptcy in early April. 



2012 

Rank 

20 22 

2011 


Greater Omaha Packing Co. 

Inc., Omaha, NE 

21 18 Wayne Farms LLC, Oakwood, GA 1,200.0* 1,400.0 8,900 

22 n/a Link Snacks Inc., Minong, WI 1,125.0* n/a 1,200* 

23 32 

23 24 

25 26 

26 28 

27 22 

28 29 

AFA Foods 7 , 

King of Prussia, PA 

House of Raeford Farms Inc., 

Rose Hill, NC 

Wolverine Packing Co., 

Detroit, MI 

Indiana Packers Corp., 

Delphi, IN 

BPI Technology Inc. 8 , 

Dakota Dunes, SD 

Boar’s Head Provisions Co. Inc., 

Sarasota, FL 

1,300.0 1,200.0 800 Henry Davis, president Omaha, NE Fresh beef products 

Elton Maddox, president 

and CEO 

John “Jack” Link, CEO and 

chairman of the board 

1,100.0 726.0 900 Tom Dahlen, CEO 

1,100.0 1,102.0 6,500 Robert Johnson, CEO 

1,063.0 933.0 375 

1,060.0 900.0 1,600 

A. James Bonahoom, 

president 

Gary Jacobson, president 

and COO 

1,000.0 1,200.0 800 Eldon Roth, president 

935.0* 850.0 2,300* Robert S. Martin, CEO 

29 31 Fresh Mark Inc., Massillon, OH 931.0 796.0 2,000 

30 44 Bar-S Foods Co. 9 , Phoenix, AZ 800.0 535.0 2,450 

30 37 

Fieldale Farms Corp., 

Baldwin, GA 

Neil Genshaft, chairman 

and CEO 

Timothy T. Day, chairman 

and CEO 

800.0 625.0 4,300 Gus Arrendale, CEO 

30 n/a Prestage Farms, Clinton, NC 800.0 n/a 1,800* John Prestage, president 

Pendergrass, GA; Dobson, NC; Laurel, MS; 

Decatur, AL; Albertville, AL; Union Springs, AL; 

Enterprise, AL; Danville, AR 

Minong, WI; Underwood, IA; Laurens, IA 

King of Prussia, PA; Thomasville, GA; Fort 

Worth, TX; Vernon, CA 

Raeford, NC; Teachey, NC; Arcadia, LA; 

Nesmith, SC; Rose Hill, NC 

Detroit, MI 

Delphi, IN 

South Sioux City, NE; Garden City, KS; 

Waterloo, IA; Amarillo, TX 

Petersburg, VA; Jarratt, VA; Forrest City, 

AR; Holland MI 

Canton, OH; Massillon, OH; Salem, OH 

Clinton, OK; Seminole, OK; Lawton, OK; 

Altus, OK 

Gainesville, GA; Murraysville, GA; 

Cornelia, GA 

St. Pauls, NC; West Point, MS; Ames, 

Iowa; Texhoma, OK; Cassatt, S.C. 

Fresh and further processed poultry; frozen, prepared 

poultry; poultry for export 

Jack Link’s, MATADOR beef jerky, meat snacks 

Moran’s ground beef, Miller Quality Meats 

House of Raeford Farms and Columbia Farms brands 

Beef, chicken, pork, lamb, processed veal 

Indiana Kitchen Bacon, Indiana Kitchen brand fresh pork 

products 

BPI Boneless Lean Beef Trimmings, BPI Certified Tender 

Products 

Beef, pork, chicken and turkey deli products 

Hams, deli meat, hot dogs, smoked sausage and deli 

products under the Sugardale Foods and Superior Brand 

Meats brands 

Bar-S and FUD hot dogs, deli meats 

Fieldale Farms 

Prestage Farms turkey 

33 30 Nebraska Beef Ltd., Omaha, NE 795.0* 800.0 1,100 William Hughes, CEO Omaha, NE Fresh beef products 

34 35 

35 33 

Clemens Food Group, 

Hatfield, PA 

Johnsonville Sausage LLC, 

Sheboygan Falls, WI 

780.0 650.0 2,200 

700.0 700.0 1,300 

Douglas C. Clemens, 

president 

Ralph C. Stayer, chairman 

and CEO 

35 39 Peco Foods, Tuscaloosa, AL 700.0 605.0 4,000 Mark Hickman, president 

35 25 

38 38 

39 41 

Simmons Foods, Inc. 

Siloam Springs, AR 

West Liberty Foods LLC, 

West Liberty, IA 

Kenosha Beef International 

Ltd., Kenosha, WI 

700.0 1,100.0 5,000 Todd Simmons, COO 

697.0 610.0 1,920 

691.0 600.0 750 

Ed Garrett, president 

and CEO 

Dennis Vignieri, president 

and CEO 

Hatfield, PA; Emmaus, PA 

Sheboygan Falls, WI; Watertown, WI 

Canton, MI; Bay Springs, MI; Batesville, 

AR; Tuscaloosa, AL 

Decatur, AR; Siloam Springs, AR; Van 

Buren, AR; Southwest City, MO; Jay, OK 

West Liberty, IA; Mount Pleasant, IA; 

Tremonton, UT 

Kenosha, WI; Norcross, GA; Columbus, 

OH; Frankfort, IN 

Hatfield, Nick’s, Prima Porta, Butcher Wagon, Phillies, 

Red’s Legendary and Private Label 

Johnsonville Sausage including brats, Italian sausage, 

breakfast sausage and smoked cooked sausage 

Boneless and bone-in chicken in all cuts 

Private-label and chain restaurants 

Presliced lunchmeat, chicken patties, chicken strips, 

battered/breaded/grilled chicken, chopped and formed 

chicken patties, chicken nuggets, meatballs 

Birchwood Foods brand beef 

Q&A 

Snacktacular 

Monogram Food Solutions 

was founded in 2004, 

when a group of Memphis 

investors purchased 

King Cotton and Circle B 

Brand foods from Sara Lee 

Corp. Monogram has been 

growing rapidly ever since, 

purchasing brands of hot 

dogs, corn dogs, sandwich 

meats, snack meats 

and smoked sausages. Wes Jackson, 

Jackson 

What is the growth goal for 

2012? 

Our goal for 2012 is $200 million. 

We are currently working 

on a confidential acquisition, 

which should close by the end of 

summer and will add $40 million 

in revenues. 

How much bigger will 

Monogram get? 

We have an internal BHAG 

(Big Hairy Audacious Goal) for growth. 

former president of the Sara Lee Foods 

Dinner Group, has been quarterbacking 

Monogram’s growth by inking licensing 

deals with NASCAR and Jeff Foxworthy 

and others. 

How do you decide which companies ✿ 

to acquire? 

We are a growth company dedicated 

to protein-related products. From there, 

we look for synergistic-type acquisitions; 

deals where we can make one plus one equal 

three. Something close to our core competencies, 

something we can easily integrate 

into our management infrastructure. Many 

of the brands we have purchased come from 

larger companies where they were part of a 

portfolio and were not getting much attention. 

It is to triple revenue (2011 revenues 

were $183 million) in the next six years. 

In 2004, we had about $8 million in 

revenues. We fund all our acquisitions 

by raising our own equity and using 

traditional lending. We do not use 

investment banks, high leverage or 

mezzanine financing. We do not have an 

exit strategy. . 

Are there any new marketing plans for 

this year? 

We have a new licensing deal ... with 

Johnsonville brand sausages. We have 

secured licensing for meat snacks. We 

have just launched a new bacon jerky 

product under the Johnsonville brand. 

We also have a licensing deal with Glory 

One of our first acquisitions 

Foods, a maker of canned 

was the King Cotton brand from In 2004, vegetables. We have a brand 

Sara Lee. You could imagine the 

average Sara Lee salesperson, 

Memphisbased 

meat 

of smoked sausage, Circle B, 

which ... is extremely popular 

who is also repping big brand 

in its core market. The problem 

snack maker 

names like Ball Park and Jimmy 

is Circle B has a very small 

Monogram 

Dean — King Cotton was not even 

footprint. We want to bring it 

going to come up in the conversation. 

We hired a dedicated sales revenues the partnership with Glory will 

Foods annual 

to other markets, and we feel 

force, re-instituted advertising, 

and tripled the revenue of the 

King Cotton brand over the past 

were $8 

million. In 

2011, annual 

help us do that. Glory has a 

much larger footprint, so we’re 

hopeful that Circle B smoked 

six years. We are also interested 

sausage will be as popular in 

sales were 

in businesses with underutilized 

other markets as it is in its 

$183 million. 

plants. 

current core market. 

70 meatingplace June 2012 



2012 

Rank 

2011 


40 40 George’s Inc., Springdale, AR 632.0* 600.0 4,100* Gary George, CEO Cassville, MO; Springdale, AR Fresh chickens and chicken products 

41 45 


Creekstone Farms Premium 

Beef, Arkansas City, KS 

600.0 500.0 700 

Dennis Buhlke, president 

and CEO 

41 27 O.K. Foods Inc. 10 , Fort Smith, AR 600.0 930.0 4,000 Ken Primm, president 

41 41 

Quantum Foods LLC, 

Bolingbrook, IL 

600.0 600.0 1,500 

44 43 Case Foods Inc., Troutman, NC 599.0 579.0 2,500 

45 n/a 

45 47 

45 34 

48 49 

49 60 

50 47 

51 57 

52 54 

53 n/a 

54 51 

55 n/a 

Golden State Foods Meat 

Products Group, Irvine, CA 

Sam Kane Beef Processors Inc., 

Corpus Christi, TX 

Washington Beef LLC/AB Foods 

LLC, Toppenish, WA 

Lopez Foods Inc., 

Oklahoma City, OK 

Caviness Beef Packers, 

Hereford, TX 

Omaha Steaks International, 

Omaha, NE 

Sugar Creek Packing Co., 

Washington Court House, OH 

Meyer Natural Foods, 

Loveland CO 

Plumrose USA, 

East Brunswick, NJ 

Harris Ranch Beef Co., 

Selma, CA 

Cooper Farms, 

Fort Recovery, OH 

500.0* n/a 600* 

500.0* 450 800 

Edward B. Bleka, president 

and CEO 

Thomas R. Shelton, 

chairman and CEO 

David Gilbert, president, 

Meat Group 

Jerry Kane, chairman 

and CEO 

Arkansas City, KS 

Fort Smith, AR; Heavener, OK; Muldrow, 

OK 

Bolingbrook, IL 

Winesburg, OH; Morganton, NC; 

Goldsboro, NC 

City of Industry, CA; Conyers, GA 

Corpus Christi, TX 

500.00 659.0 800 Brad McDowell, president Toppenish, WA 

Creekstone Farms Natural Black Angus Beef, Creekstone 

Farms Premium Black Angus Beef 

Boneless and bone-in chicken in all cuts, fully cooked 

chicken 

Quantum Steakhouse premium steaks, Rancher’s 

Selection 

Case Farms, Tasty Eight and Amish Country Chicken 

Beef patties, cooked beef, chili, burrito fillings 

Fresh beef products for foodservice 

Fresh beef, fresh pork, sausages, hams and hot dogs 

under brands including Snake River Farms, Double R 

Ranch and St. Helens 

490.0 400.0 750 Eduardo Sanchez, CEO Oklahoma City, OK; Caryville, TN Quick ‘n Eat, Country Cousin 

455.0 310.0 750 Terry Caviness, CEO Hereford, TX; Amarillo, TX 

450.0 450.0 1,800 

440.0 280.0 1,350 

Bruce Simon, president 

and CEO 

John Richardson, 

president 

Omaha, NE 

438.4 350.0 120 Bill Rupp, CEO Loveland, CO 

435.0 n/a 1,000* David Schanzer, CEO 

Washington Court House, OH; Dayton, 

OH; Hamilton, OH; Frontenac, KS 

Booneville, MS; Elkhart, IN; Swanton, VT; 

Council Bluffs, IA 

Palo Duro Brand Caviness Packing, Caviness Top Shelf, 

Caviness Farm Fresh 

Omaha Steaks, World Port Seafood 

Foodservice and retail bacon products, processed 

meats, assembled meals 

Fresh beef, ground beef and fully cooked meals under the 

Laura’s Lean Beef, Meyer Natural Angus, Dakota Beef, 

Premium Natural and Local Harvest brands 

Plumrose, Dak, Danola 

426.0 363.0 822 Dave Wood, chairman Selma, CA Fresh beef, ground beef, prepared beef entrées 

400.0* n/a 1,500 James R. Cooper, CEO Van Wert, OH; St. Henry, OH Cooper Farms processed turkey products 

55 50 Dietz & Watson, Philadelphia, PA 400.0 370.0 1,000 Louis J. Eni, president Philadelphia, PA; Baltimore, MD Dietz & Watson, Black Bear Deli, Parks lunchmeats 

55 59 Ed Miniat Inc., Homewood, IL 400.0 320.0 500 David Miniat, president New Holland, IL and Chicago, IL Customized beef, pork, lamb, veal and poultry products 

58 61 

59 52 

L & H Packing Co./Surlean 

Foods, San Antonio, TX 

Brakebush Brothers, 

Westfield, WI 

388.5 308.0 750 Ken Leonard, CEO San Antonio, TX Beef (L & H), chicken and pork (Surlean) 

378.0* 360.0 900 William C. Brakebush, CEO Westfield, WI 

Chicken wings, nuggets, patties, fingers and strips 

under brands including Buffalo Beyond Wings, Country 

Goodness and Zoo Crew 

Following 

Happy 

moving more 

the debut of High 

and more product 

Pressure Processing at 

through it. In addition 

industry leaders such 

HPP 

to his own company’s 

with 

as Hormel and Cargill 

products, he is fielding 

(Meatingplace, April 

calls from other food 

2011), usage of HPP has 

producers who want to 

gained a following with 

use the technology. 

lesser-known firms such as Quantum 

In the not-so-distant past, the high 

Foods, the Bolingbrook, Ill-based maker cost and slow throughput of HPP were 

and distributor of portion control 

major drawbacks. But the price of the 

meats and Vincent Giordano Corp., the machines has dropped and capacity ✿ 

Philadelphia-based maker of cold cuts has improved. 

and deli items. 

One of the most dramatic impacts 

The industry’s use of HPP, a process of the technology is the extension of 

that sterilizes food by subjecting it to shelf life, says Guy Giordano, CEO and 

high pressure, is growing rapidly as food president of Vincent Giordano. His 

service operators and consumers learn firm recently extended the company’s 

of its advantages. HPP not only kills the guarantee of its products from 40 days 

bugs that cause food borne illnesses to 90 days from delivery date. With the 

but also extends shelf life. It is a natural added shelf life, product shrink “goes 

process in that it does not involve any down to nothing,” he adds. 

chemical additives or radiation, and can Giordano formed a new company, Safe 

be labeled as such. 

Pac Pasteurization, in 2010, to offer the 

“It’s the best thing out there right HPP technology. He says business has 

now,” says Edward Bleka, Quantum’s been increasing 30 percent per year, and 

founder and CEO. “In the next four to his machine, which can process up to 20 

five years, HPP is not going to be an 

million pounds annually, is close ✿ 

option for food safety, it is going to be to capacity. 

a requirement. It is going to be the way “With this process, there is no color 

things are done.” 

change, no change in texture,” Giordano 

Quantum installed its first HPP 

says. “Once customers understand it, 

machine in January and has been steadily they are hooked.” 

“In the next four to five years, HPP is not going 

to be an option for food safety, it is going to 

be a requirement. It is going to be the way 

things are done.” — Quantum Foods CEO Edward Bleka 

Courtesy of Avure Technologies Inc. 



2012 

Rank 

2011 


60 56 Zacky Farms, Fresno, CA 375.0 345.0 1,500* Robert Zacky, CEO Fresno, CA; Stockton, CA 

61 65 

Branding Iron Holdings, 

Sauget, IL 

350.0 290.0 650 Scott Hudspeth, CEO 

Sauget, IL; Rochester, MN; Sauk Rapids, 

MN 

61 69 FPL Food LLC, Augusta, GA 350.0 240.0 800 Francois Leger, CEO Augusta, GA; Columbia, SC 

61 58 Land O’Frost Inc, Lansing, IL 350.0* 284.0 980* 

Donna Van Eekeren, CEO 

and chairman 

Searcy, AR, Lansing, IL; Madisonville, KY 

Fresh turkey, turkey sausage and deli turkey under the 

Culinary Classic and Sam’s Ranch brands 

Thick ‘n Juicy Brand Beef Patties; ”The Cloud” Brand 

Beef Patties; Claim to Fame Beef Patties 

FPL Food Foodservice Selections, portioned controlled 

beef cuts, Chatel Farms Convenient Ready to Cook Items, 

Solstice Meats multicultural selections 

Deli meat, Canadian bacon 

Bag 

it 

Cook-in-bag 

packaging is 

gaining steam. 

61 n/a XL Four Star Beef, Omaha, NE 350.0* n/a 500* Brian Nilsson, CEO Omaha, NE Fresh beef products 

65 55 

PM Beef Holdings LLC, 

Windom, MN 

344.0* 346.0 600 

Greg Miller, president 

and CEO 

Windom, MN 

Fresh beef including Angus, Natural Angus and Retail 

Ready programs 

66 63 GNP Company 1 1 , St. Cloud, MN 340.0 300.0 1,600 Don Hegelson, CEO Cold Spring, MN; Arcadia, WI All-natural fresh and prepared chicken products 

67 53 

68 84 

69 66 

Bob Evans Farms Inc. 12 , 

Columbus, OH 

Natural Food Holdings 13 , 

Sioux Center, Iowa 

Specialty Foods Group Inc, 

Newport News, VA 

333.6 351.0 1,181 

Steven Davis, chairman of 

the board and CEO 

Xenia, OH; Bidwell, OH 

Sausage and prepared foods 

325.0 150.0 300 Gary Malenke, CEO Sioux Center, IA Fresh pork products, including custom cuts 

324.0 273.0 900 

70 62 Cagle’s Inc. 14 , Atlanta, GA 310.0 307.0 1,900 

Bonita Then, president 

and CEO 

J. Douglas Cagle, president 

and CEO 

Chicago, IL; Owensboro, KY 

Collinsville, AL; Pine Mountain Valley, GA 

71 74 Superior Farms, Davis, CA 302.0 215.0 419 Ed Jenks, CEO Dixon, CA; Denver, CO 

72 63 Amick Farms Inc., Hurlock, MD 300.0 300.0 2,100 Ben Harrison, president Hurlock, MD; Batesburg, SC Fresh chicken products 

72 n/a 

74 69 

75 75 

76 72 

77 67 

78 68 

78 71 

Columbus Manufacturing Inc., 

Hayward, CA 

Stampede Meat Inc., 

Bridgeview, IL 

Claxton Poultry Farms Inc., 

Claxton, GA 

Abbyland Foods Inc., 

Abbotsford, WI 

Mar-Jac Poultry Inc., 

Gainesville, GA 

Lone Star Beef Processors, 

San Angelo, TX 

Marshall Durbin Cos., 

Birmingham, AL 

300.0* n/a 300 Tim Fallon, CEO South San Francisco, CA; Hayward, CA 

285.0 240.0 820 Brock Furlong, president Bridgeview, IL; Oak Lawn, IL 

Nathan’s Famous, Kentucky Legend, Fischer’s, Field, 

Scott Petersen, William Fischer hot dogs 

Fresh and frozen chicken products for supermarket delis, 

quick-service restaurants, foodservice distributors, 

supermarkets and international markets 

Fresh and precooked lamb and veal, value-added 

products featuring beef and pork 

Salumi, salame, lunch meat, sausage, beef, pork and 

poultry products 

Custom-made beef, poultry and pork entrées for 

foodservice, retail, military and institutional 

272.0 200.0 1,800 Jerry Lane, president Claxton, GA Broiler, fryer and roaster chicken products 

265.0 226.0 700 

Harland Schraufnagel, 

president 

Abbotsford, WI 

Fresh and fully cooked sausages, fully cooked products 

including Philly steak, Salisbury steak and poultry 

255.0* 260.0 1,200 Jamal Al-Barzinji, CEO Gainesville, GA Boneless and bone-in chicken in all cuts 

250.0 250.0 435 John Cross, president San Angelo, TX 

Boneless beef, lean trimmings, specialty trimmings and 

cuts 

250.0 230.0 2,500 Melissa Durbin, president Jasper, AL; Hattiesburg, MS Marshall Durbin, Springdale 

New packaging technologies 

allow brands to offer fullycooked 

frozen meals that — 

yes, it’s true — actually ✿ 

taste good. 

Better packaging has 

been spurred by the need 

for greater shelf life, better 

product quality and increased 

food safety. Better packaging 

also means less shrinkage and 

less spoilage. 

Health concerns also played 

a role. When certain types of 

plastic were tied to increased 

cancer risks, the industry 

moved quickly to source new 

materials. The environmental 

movement also contributed to 

new experiments in packaging as producers 

sought ways to eliminate waste and 

position their products as earth-friendly. 

The emphasis on convenience foods 

and portability also led some companies 

to develop new containers that were 

easier to hold and carry, and more 

spill-resistant. 

But getting meals from freezer to table 

has been the packaging industry’s pièce 

de résistance. Newly developed polyester 

films have added functionality such as 

shrink, formability and heat sealing, 

which make it possible to flash freeze 

Getting 

meals from 

the freezer 

to table has 

been the 

packaging 

industry’s 

pièce de 

résistance. 

food and reheat it in the 

microwave or conventional 

oven, all in the same bag. 

Hormel’s Jennie-O turkey 

brand uses the technology 

to offer a fully cooked turkey 

that goes from freezer to oven 

and is ready to eat in under 

two hours. Hormel employs 

similar technology with its 

Cure 81 line of bone-in hams. 

The packaging goes from 

refrigerator to oven without 

consumers ever having to 

handle the product. 

Smithfield is using a 

cook-in bag to reduce the 

cooking time of a rack of 

ribs. Smithfield Cook-in Bag 

Ribs come in Baby back and St. Louis 

Styles and are pre-seasoned and rubbed. 

Cooking time is decreased to one hour 

and clean up is easier as everything 

remains in the bag. 

One important implication of new 

packaging technology is the ability 

to cook products in facilities that 

otherwise only handle raw product. The 

newest bags allow producers to cook 

raw products after they are bagged, 

eliminating the need to retrofit facilities 

for the higher sanitation requirements 

necessary for cooked products. 




2012 

Rank 

2011 


78 n/a Request Foods, Holland, MI 250.0 n/a 550 Jack DeWitt, president Holland, MI 

Beef, chicken, pork frozen entrées, side dishes, specialty 

foods 

81 n/a Dakota Provisions, Huron, SD 220.0 n/a 890 

Kenneth D. Rutledge, 


Huron, SD 

Prairie Grown, Wyshbone 

81 n/a Empire Kosher, Mifflintown, PA 220.0* n/a 750 Greg Rosenbaum, CEO Mifflintown, PA Empire Kosher 

83 81 

84 83 

85 n/a 

Tip Top Poultry Inc., 

Marietta, GA 

Farmers Pride Inc., 

Fredericksburg, PA 

Aurora Packing Co., 

North Aurora, IL 

212.0 165.0 1,500 Robin Burruss, president 

Rockmart, GA; Marietta, GA; New Market, 

VA 

Top Bee Stewing Hen 

206.0 158.0 1,100 Michael Good, CEO Fredericksburg, PA Bell & Evans 

200.0* n/a 250* Marvin Fagel, president North Aurora, IL Fresh beef 

Three 

fingers 

of beef 

85 75 Harrison Poultry, Bethlehem, GA 200.0 20.00 1,000 Michael Welch, CEO Bethlehem, GA Fresh chicken products 

85 82 

88 84 

89 79 

90 78 

91 n/a 

92 n/a 

Michigan Turkey Producers, 

Wyoming, MI 

Custom Food Products LLC, 

Carson, CA 

Murry’s Inc., 

Upper Marlboro, MD 

Odom’s Tennessee Pride 

Sausage Inc. 15 , Madison, TN 

Monogram Food Solutions LLC, 

Memphis, TN 

Triumph Foods LLC, 

St. Charles, MO 

200.0 163.0 600 Dan Lennon, CEO Wyoming, MI 

195.0 150.0 350 

190.0* 180.0 1,200 

Jon Hickerson, president 

and COO 

Ira Mendelson, president 

and CEO 

Carson, CA; Owingsville, KY 

Lebanon, PA 

Golden Legacy, Great Lakes, RTC, RTE turkey products, 

organic, all natural and animal byproduct- and antibioticfree 

lines 

Customized beef, pork, chicken and turkey products 

Burgers, breaded chicken, chicken wings, sandwich 

steaks, meatballs 

189.0 189.0 775 Larry D. Odom, president Little Rock, AR; Dickson, TN Odom’s Tennessee Pride Sausage 

182.9 n/a 752 

93 80 Rose Packing Co., Barrington, IL 170.0 168.0 550 

94 77 Overhill Farms, Vernon, CA 169.2 194.0 736 

95 88 

J.H. Routh Packing Co., 

Sandusky, OH 

Karl Schledwitz, chairman 

and CEO 

Chandler, MN; Muncie, IN; Martinsville, 

VA 

180.0* n/a 2,800* Rick Hoffman, CEO St. Charles, MO Fresh pork 

167.0 145.0 300 

96 n/a John Soules Foods, Tyler, TX 160.0 n/a 408 

97 n/a 

American Beef Packers, Inc., 

Chino, CA 

153.0 n/a 210 

98 84 Kayem Foods Inc., Chelsea, MA 150.0 150.0 500 

98 n/a 

Rastelli Foods Group, 

Swedesboro, NJ 

150.0 n/a 200 

Dwight Stiehl, president 

and CEO 

James Rudis, chairman of 

the board, president, CEO 

and director 

Thomas M. Routh, 


Mark Soules and John 

Soules, Jr., co-CEOs 

Wade Carrigan and Marvin 

Roberts, co-owners 

Ralph O. Smith, president 

and CEO 

Raymond Rastelli, 

president 

Chicago, IL 

Vernon, CA 

Sandusky, OH 

Tyler, TX 

Chino, CA 

Chelsea, MA; Woburn, MA; Burlington, VT 

Swedesboro, NJ 

King Cotton, Circle B, Wild Bills, Trail’s Best 

Rose, Northwoods 

Prepared frozen food products for branded retail, private 

label, foodservice and airlines. 

Daisyfield brand pork (hams, bacon, sausage), fresh pork 

products 

John Soules Foods cooked, ready-to-cook fajita beef, 

poultry products 

Fresh beef 

Kayem franks and sausage, Kayem deli products, al 

fresco all natural chicken sausage, Triple M, Jordan’s, 

Meisterchef, Kirchner, Duetchmacher, McKenzi 

Tony Luke’s Philly sandwiches, Pureland Black Angus 

beef and Duroc pork, Canyon Valley all-natural beef, El 

Wingador 

That the gourmet burger 

trend still has legs is apparent 

to anybody eyeing the Inc. 

Magazine 2011 list of fastestgrowing 

companies in the U.S.: 

There’s No. 99 Smashburger, 

with 2,673 percent growth over 

three years, and at No. 462, 

Plan B Burger Bar with 756 

percent growth over the same 

time period. Not to mention 

Five Guys, the resurgence of 

Red Robin, and the $17 i(heart) 

bacon burger (70 percent brisket, 

the rest applewood-smoked bacon) 

at i(heart) burgers in Las Vegas. 

The fast-growing variation on the 

theme is what could be called high-end 

gourmet burgers — sandwiches made 

from grinds of specific cuts (short rib, 

brisket), combinations of different 

subprimal grinds, or ground beef that has 

been specially treated, such as dry-aged. 

A 40-day, dry-aged prime steak burger 

at the Lobby Bar of the James 

Hotel in Chicago costs $12. Why 

treat a prime, dry-aged steak 

that way? Because it’s good, 

says John Stika, president of 

Certified Angus Beef LLC in 

Wooster, Ohio. 

“It’s as nutty-tasting as a 

“Ten years 

ago we were 

taught to 

believe that 

all grinds 

were created 

equal. We’ve 

proven that 

they aren’t.” 

(John Stika, president of 

Certified Angus Beef) 

Web extra: 

See video of John Stika 

discussing high-end 

gourmet burgers and 

other market trends 

at http://meatm.ag/ 

M100interviewStika. 

dry-aged steak,” he says. 

Stika took note of the blend 

trend in a February presentation 

to the National Meat 

Association’s annual convention 

in Tucson. Grinding up dryaged 

steak is simply an example 

of creativity and flexibility in 

the industry, he says. 

“It allows different products 

to be used, it allows someone 

to tell a different story … and 

offers an experience that is 

in line with the price-value 

proposition,” he says. That is, consumers 

who don’t feel good ponying up for a 

pricey steak in the midst of the worldwide 

economic heebie-jeebies can have a 

decadent taste experience at a much 

lower cost. They can even add cheese. 

Dry aging isn’t the only way to differentiate 

a Bentley of burgers. In addition to 

mixing top-quality beef with bacon, chefs 

or foodservice suppliers offer burgers 

made of brisket, to brisket/sirloin 

blends, to blends that may 

even include short rib or oxtail. 

“Ten years ago we were 

taught to believe that all grinds 

were created equal. We’ve 

proven that they aren’t,” ✿ 

Stika says.

100 companies managed to rise to the top.

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