“2020 was the year that no one saw coming,” said Jonathan Amidei, chief operating officer of Swaggerty Sausage Co. Inc.

It was a sentiment that many meat and poultry processors share. The industry, in a normal year, is often fraught with pitfalls – labor shortages, raw material supplies, government regulations, changing consumer tastes. All of those issues existed in 2020. Add to that a global pandemic that killed more than 400,000 Americans, crippled the foodservice industry and changed the way of life of everyone, and you are left with the most challenging business environment in the recent history of the meat industry.

2021 Top 100 Index:

For many companies, staying afloat was an accomplishment in and of itself. The leading processors, whether those in the Top 100 or the Greatest Gains lists or others, found a way to not only survive, but thrive.

“We learned that we had to quickly adapt to unexpected changes in business while maintaining our high standards of product quality, people safety and cost containment,” Amidei added. “Retail business flourished and more than offset the foodservice declines.”

“Adapting quickly” became a mantra for many of the companies in the Top 100. Nancy Matheson-Burns, president and CEO of the Woburn, Mass.-based Dole & Bailey, said that the company quickly pivoted to new ventures when many of its foodservice customers shut down. Within days, the company had made a significant push for retail, ultimately growing its retail business by 400 percent by the end of the year.

“Within two days we created a comprehensive online platform utilizing our current website for direct sales to homes during the lockdown. This allowed for contactless home delivery during the pandemic throughout our community. Sales were so successful we have migrated to a more robust platform using Shopify and have continued to evolve and grow this segment of our business,” she added.

As a result of hard work and quick-thinking, many of the companies in this year’s Top 100 and Greatest Gains Reports reported a positive year, even if it wasn’t a runaway success. Of the 33 companies who responded to our poll, 11 indicated that 2020 was their “Best Year Ever,” while 11 more described it as “Good.” The remaining companies called the year either “Average” or “Poor,” but no company described it as the worst ever.

 

Cautious optimism

Prospects for the coming year are more optimistic. Twenty respondents say that the next year will be better than the last one.

However, there are still speedbumps in the road. COVID-19 remains a top concern. Processors are wary of a resurgence, of getting vaccines for their employees in a timely manner, of the economy recovering from the toll of the pandemic.

COVID-19 is not the most pressing concern, however; labor is. There are simply not enough employees to go around, and that vanished labor pool is inhibiting growth in some cases. This isn’t a new concern in the industry, but it was something that was exacerbated by the pandemic.

“It continues to get harder to attract qualified workers into food manufacturing in the more rural areas,” said one company leader. In total, 13 processors mentioned labor as a leading concern for the next year.

Many of the opportunities are COVID-related as well. Several processors predict a resurgence in the foodservice market, while others believe that the new markets and new relationships they formed in 2020 will pay big dividends in 2021 and beyond.

If your company would like to be considered for the 2022 Top 100 Report, email Sam Gazdziak at gazdziaks@bnpmedia.com.


2021 Market Segment Reports

Select a market segment in order to view the report:

Editor’s note: The market segment reports are gathered by information submitted by the following companies, or information that is publicly available. Those companies that did not respond or declined to provide specific information were not included.

BEEF
Company Sales in Sector
(in millions)
Overall Sales
(in millions)
JBS USA 20,829 39,300
OSI Group LLC 2,928 6,100
Hormel Foods Corp. 864.7 9,608
Caviness Beef Packers Ltd. 720 720
Lone Star Beef Processors 550 550
CS Beef Packers LLC 545 545
Golden West Food Group 392.8 958
Colorado Premium 361.3 425
Stampede Meat Inc. 357.5 650
Standard Meat Co. 346.8 600
Golden State Foods 291 300
Omaha Steaks International Inc. 279 450
Dole & Bailey Inc. 207 430
Monogram Food Solutions 130.9 818.6
John Soules Foods Inc. 109.6 577
Carl Buddig & Co. 108 720
Prime Meats (Norsan Meats LLC) 78.7 126.9
Abbyland Foods Inc. 77.5 310
Deitz & Watson Inc. 72 600
George’s Inc. 60 1,500
CHICKEN
Company Sales in Sector
(in millions)
Overall Sales
(in millions)
JBS USA 12.183 39,300
Sanderson Farms Inc. 3,546 3,546
George’s Inc. 1,410 1,500
House of Raeford Farms Inc. 1,100 1,100
OSI Group LLC 732 6,100
Farmers Pride Inc. (dba Bell & Evans) 488 488
John Soules Foods Inc. 467.4 577
Golden West Food Group 258.7 958
Standard Meat Co. 214.8 600
Hormel Foods Corp. 192.1 9,608
Stampede Meat Inc. 162.5 650
Carl Buddig & Co. 108 720
Monogram Food Solutions 73.7 818.6
Deitz & Watson Inc. 72 600
Fresh Mark Inc. 60.5 1,210
Colorado Premium 51 425
Dole & Bailey Inc. 38.5 430
Omaha Steaks International Inc. 36 450
Indiana Packers Corp. 24 1,200
Abbyland Foods Inc. 15 310
PORK
Company Sales in Sector
(in millions)
Overall Sales
(in millions)
JBS USA 6,288 39,300
Hormel Foods Corp. 5,188.6 9,608
OSI Group LLC 1,769 6,100
Indiana Packers Corp. 1,116 1,200
Fresh Mark Inc. 1,089 1,210
Rantoul Foods 316.3 316.3
Monogram Food Solutions 237.4 818.6
Deitz & Watson Inc. 222 600
Carl Buddig & Co. 216 720
Golden West Food Group 182.0 958
Swaggerty Sausage Co. Inc. 180 180
Abbyland Foods Inc. 170.5 310
J.H. Routh Packing Co. 166 166
Williams Sausage Co. Inc. 137.7 137.7
Sunnyvalley Smoked Meats Inc. 122.5 136.1
Cooper Farms 121 605
Stampede Meat Inc. 97.5 650
Trim-Rite Food Corp. 89.2 89.2
Burgers’ Smokehouse 87.2 98
Pederson Natural Farms Inc. 63 70
TURKEY
Company Sales in Sector
(in millions)
Overall Sales
(in millions)
Hormel Foods Corp. 1,921.7 9,608
Cooper Farms 393.3 605
Carl Buddig & Co. 288 720
Dakota Provisions LLC 209.1 255
Deitz & Watson Inc. 198 600
OSI Group LLC 61 6,100
Monogram Food Solutions 49.1 818.6
Abbyland Foods Inc. 46.5 310
Fresh Mark Inc. 36.3 1,210
Indiana Packers Corp. 36 1,200
Stampede Meat Inc. 32.5 650
Golden West Food Group 28.7 958
George’s Inc. 15 1,500
Sunnyvalley Smoked Meats Inc. 13.6 136.1
Omaha Steaks International Inc. 4.5 4.5
EXPORT
Company Sales in Sector
(in millions)
Overall Sales
(in millions)
JBS USA 7,467 39,300
Hormel Foods Corp. 576.5 9,608
OSI Group LLC 549 6,100
Sanderson Farms Inc. 308.5 3,546
Indiana Packers Corp. 240 1,200
Fresh Mark Inc. 121 1,210
House of Raeford Farms Inc. 121 1,100
Caviness Beef Packers Ltd. 108 720
George’s Inc. 75 1,500
Stampede Meat Inc. 65 650
Lone Star Beef Processors 55 550
CS Beef Packers LLC 54.5 545
Dakota Provisions LLC 51 255
Cooper Farms 48.4 605
Carl Buddig & Co. 36 720
NATURAL / ORGANIC
Company Sales in Sector
(in millions)
Overall Sales
(in millions)
Sanderson Farms Inc. 3,219.8 3,546
Hormel Foods Corp. 1,537.4 9,608
George’s Inc. 375 375
OSI Group LLC 305 6,100
Farmers Pride Inc. (dba Bell & Evans) 195.2 488
Deitz & Watson Inc. 150 600
Pederson Natural Farms Inc. 63 70
Golden West Food Group 38.3 958
Caviness Beef Packers Ltd. 36 720
Carl Buddig & Co. 14.4 720
FRESH
Company Sales in Sector
(in millions)
Overall Sales
(in millions)
Hormel Foods Corp. 6,629.8 9,608
Sanderson Farms Inc. 3,210.5 3,546
George’s Inc. 1,050 1,500
Indiana Packers Corp. 960 1,200
House of Raeford Farms Inc. 946 1,100
Golden West Food Group 862.2 958
Fresh Mark Inc. 847 1,210
OSI Group LLC 610 6,100
Carl Buddig & Co. 576 720
Caviness Beef Packers Ltd. 576 720
Cooper Farms 514.3 605
Lone Star Beef Processors 495 550
CS Beef Packers LLC 436 545
Monogram Food Solutions 425.7 818.6
Farmers Pride Inc. (dba Bell & Evans) 414.8 488
Colorado Premium 255 425
Standard Meat Co. 246.6 600
Dole & Bailey Inc. 199.8 430
Stampede Meat Inc. 195 650
J.H. Routh Packing Co. 132.8 166
FROZEN
Company Sales in Sector
(in millions)
Overall Sales
(in millions)
OSI Group LLC 5,490 6,100
Hormel Foods Corp. 576.5 9,608
John Soules Foods Inc. 536.6 577
Stampede Meat Inc. 455 650
George’s Inc. 450 1,500
Omaha Steaks International Inc. 450 450
Sanderson Farms Inc. 425.5 3,546
Standard Meat Co. 353.4 600
Fresh Mark Inc. 242 1,210
Indiana Packers Corp. 240 1,200
Monogram Food Solutions 221 818.6
Dole & Bailey Inc. 187.7 430
Golden State Foods 180 300
Swaggerty Sausage Co. Inc. 180 180
Abbyland Foods Inc. 170.5 310
Colorado Premium 170 425
Caviness Beef Packers Ltd. 144 720
Dakota Provisions LLC 127.5 255
House of Raeford Farms Inc. 110 1,100
CS Beef Packers LLC 109 545
SHELF STABLE
Company Sales in Sector
(in millions)
Overall Sales
(in millions)
Hormel Foods Corp. 2,402.1 9,608
Monogram Food Solutions 163.7 818.6
Carl Buddig & Co. 144 720
Fresh Mark Inc. 121 1,210
Deitz & Watson Inc. 90 600

View All Market Segment Reports