Meat&Poultry - October 2013 - 90

pioneer meats

Bigger and better

annually processes 900 hogs, 900 beef and 600 lambs.

The jovial entrepreneur had a knack for developing every

Located five miles south of the Crazy Mountains and

element of his meat business to new levels. The big-game

north of the Bear Tooth Wilderness, about 80 miles north

processing climbed to more than 1,000 deer, elk, ante-

of Yellowstone National Park, Pioneer Meats has grown

lope, mountain goats and bear annually. He moved into

to employ 12 full-time employees and four part-timers.

private-labeling for farmers and ranchers to market their

Brian had a strong interest in producing fresh and cured

own meats, a growth area that now represents 20 percent

sausage products and jerky and in 2005 felt the path to

of his volume. He sought

improvement was through competition. He entered prod-

and obtained organic certi-

ucts in the Montana Meat Processors Association cured

fication from the Montana

meats show and the competition at the Northwest Meat

Department of Livestock

Processors Association convention.

“I was a person who
knew nothing and
had to do things by
trial and error.”

and today ranchers bring

Within a few years, he was bringing home not only

in their animals from as far

first-place plaques, but was actually winning the supreme

away as 250 miles for this certified service.

honors as “best of show.” By 2009, three of the final prod-

Brian is relentless in his support for FAA and 4-H

ucts for the “best of show” award were all his creations.

groups and gained a reputation for quality processing. His

Thus far, in just a few short years, he has amassed more

company handles animals from seven fairs in the region,

than 80 awards in cured meats competition.

amounting to about 300 pigs, 120 beef and 80 lambs a

His heavy involvement in and support for agricultural

year. With his step-above private-labeling capabilities, he

and athletic groups opened the door for him to produce
meat items for resale as fundraisers. This has also helped

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him wholesale like products to independent grocery stores
and restaurants.
Brian says it is a payback to the agricultural community in Montana when he can further-process locally raised
livestock. About 90 percent of all meat products he makes
come from the state, including buffalo items.
Brian wears his humility as proudly as his butcher’s
smock and is eager to share responsibility for the success
of his plant:
“I was a person who knew nothing and had to do things

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o’clock at night and needed their help, they never denied
me and stuck around until the work was done.”
He also says his location along the Interstate 90 corridor has made things convenient for custom and wholesale customers to bring in their animals and their trucks
to pick up orders. He doesn’t deliver.

Word of mouth
Except for its exposure at sporting and agricultural events,
Pioneer Meats does little advertising. Word-of-mouth
endorsements and their website, pioneermeatsmt.com,
seems to burnish the firm’s reputation in rural Montana.
Brian says he wants to capitalize on their 3,350-sq.-ft.
expansion completed last year. It provided dock loading,

• Meat&Poultry • October 2013 • www.MeatPoultry.com

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Meat&Poultry - October 2013

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