Meat+Poultry - September 2022 - 67

PATENT PENDING
If this deliberate and
successful growth pattern sounds
remarkable, just think how Thomas
felt in 2014 when he earned the
annual Accomplishment Award
from the American Association
of Meat Processors for successful
advancement and growth of a
business in a short time.
RELATIONSHIPS MATTER
In 2018, Thomas was elected
president of the Missouri
Association of Meat Processors.
He credits the relationships he
developed through the associations
for bringing new ideas to the table.
He reminds himself of the advice and
warning the company accountant
offered him several years ago when
the family contemplated the change
in direction.
" He told me that when we had
to make a hard decision about the
future direction for our company
that we had 'to take the emotion
out of it.' It was a reach from my
father's earlier view that if you
weren't cutting a pork loin you
weren't doing anything.
" It was not a unanimous
decision to go in this new
direction, but all of us in the family
realized that despite our titles, we
were all employees and we had to
look at it from that perspective. In
the end, we all came together.
" Looking back at the challenge
we faced we are grateful that we
made this major change. Thanks to
the dramatic increase in volume,
we can now get and keep great
employees with higher wages, good
insurance, IRAs and other benefits.
Our philosophy is that we want to
always be a hometown company
that cares about its products, its
service and its employees.
" We plan on hiring a retail
manager and putting a growth
focus on that retail area for the
next expansion of our mission, "
Thomas said.
Toughest job made easy.
We designed the PIECO Safe Torque
Ring to aid workers in commercial meat
processing with the tightening and removal
of the retaining ring that threads onto the
meat grinder barrel.
800.334.3929
pieco.com/STR
USA MADE
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www.meatpoultry.com | 09.22 | MEAT+POULTRY 67
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Meat+Poultry - September 2022

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