I wish them luck. Their major concern is government overregulation and union protection for the larger plants. It is a tough business, hard work but very satisfying in providing the community with good and affordable food.
Nice meat processing plant you got there. It would be too bad if the government regulated it out of business and forced you to sell it to the Big 4.
They should start more local. At a federally inspected plant, a USDA inspector has to be on hand at all times at a cost of $80/hr. ($166,000/yr)
27 states have state inspections that are equivalent to fed but you don’t have to have an inspector there full time. Savings from that and state fees are lower in general. There’s a family farm near me that’s state inspected. That’s how affordable it is. The meat can only be sold within the state. That’s why walmart, kroger etc will only ever use USDA inspected meat.
My nearest grocery store has stores in MO, KS, and two in TN. All three have FSIS meat inspection programs that are fed equivalent and all three have beef cattle farmers. The next nearest only has stores in MO. Other than that, there’s only walmart. Not ironically, Arkansas does not have State meat inspection. Oddly, Delaware does.
With 27 states,(https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/apply-grant-inspection/state-inspection-programs/states-and-without-inspection-programs) they could take a huge bite out of the big four. Save up capital and then go national if they want.
The way they’re going about it, I’m afraid it will turn out like Tucker, a Man and his Dreams.
Hard to compete with BIG. Big AG, Big Three, Big Pharma. They own too many in fedgov and can get regulations tweaked to crush the smaller competition.
Easier to set up single state or regional distribution. Class C drivers are easier to find as are drivers who like to go home every night. Single piece class C trucks are cheaper and simpler too.