The National Provisioner is proud to welcome the Meat Industry Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
After nominations solicited from the industry and voting by past inductees of the Meat Industry Hall of Fame, seven members were selected for the Class of 2023:
- Oscar G. Mayer (posthumous) -- chairman and president, Oscar Mayer
- Terry Caviness -- CEO, Caviness Beef Packers Ltd.
- John A. Stadler -- retired meat industry executive
- Kevin Western -- CEO, Western’s Smokehouse
- Mindy Brashears -- professor-food microbiology and food safety, Texas Tech University
- Tommy Wheeler -- distinguished senior research scientist, USDA-ARS
- Phil Hinderaker – retired, president, Alkar
Oscar G. Mayer
Many of the Class of 2023 inductees grew up in the meat industry, and posthumous inductee Oscar G. Mayer is no different. He joined his father’s retail meat market after graduating from Harvard University, growing the family business from a Chicago-focused enterprise to a large, nationally known meat producer. Oscar G. Mayer had an immense impact on the business, spurring the company’s first acquisition in 1919 and becoming president in 1928.
Under Oscar G. Mayer’s leadership, the company began branding their products to enhance consumer visibility, as well as using the iconic Wienermobile. Also under his leadership, the company invented the first meat industry vacuum-sealed packaging. Oscar G. Mayer took on the role of chairman of the board in 1955 and held that role for 10 years until he passed away in 1965. His profound, longstanding impact on the meat production industry has rightfully earned him a spot in the Meat Industry Hall of Fame.
Terry Caviness
Terry Caviness, CEO of Caviness Beef Packers Ltd., runs his family’s beef processing business in Hereford and Amarillo, Texas. The business, founded in 1962, is now in its third generation of family leadership – Terry, along with his son Trevor and Regan, are currently at the helm of Caviness Beef Packers.
After graduating from Texas Tech University, Terry Caviness returned to his home to work in the family business. In addition to running Caviness Beef Packers, Caviness works as a director and operating partner of CS Beef Packers in Kuna, Idaho, a partnership between his own family and the J.R. Simplot family in Boise.
There are around 2,200 employees between both Caviness Beef Packers and CS Beef Packers. The two companies process around 1.3 million cattle each year, selling and distributing beef on a national and international scale. One of Caviness’s most notable career moments was building a new beef processing complex in 2005.
For the next generation of meat industry professionals, Caviness offers the following recommendations:
- Always take the high road.
- Keep a healthy work/life balance.
- Keep both the big picture and details in mind.
- Lead by example.
- Don’t take yourself too seriously.
- Keep wise company.
John A. Stadler
Like much of the Class of 2023, John Stadler grew up in the meat industry, helping out his father and uncles at meat company Stadler Packing Co. After going to college, Stadler worked in Indiana for 10 years, then became a rancher and commodity trader in Colorado for about 9 years.
Stadler then decided to return to his home and buy his family’s business, renaming it to Mariah Foods. After selling that business, he became the president of fresh pork at Premium Standard Farms, building the first EU-certified plant in the United States. Stadler ran BMI AG Services, then bought Iowa Packaging alongside some investors, taking the company out of bankruptcy, saving 300 job positions, and creating Pine Ridge Farms, which is the largest sow-slaughter facility in the world.
Later on, Stadler expanded into the fresh sausage category, creating Kansas City Sausage. Both Pine Ridge Farms and Kansas City Sausage were eventually sold to Smithfield Foods.
For up-and-coming meat industry professionals, Stadler recommends paying attention to hourly workers, and not “getting too big for your britches.” Looking back on his career, Stadler is most proud of his relationship building, treating employees like relatives rather than workers. Stadler’s commitment to quality, entrepreneurship, and relationship-building have rightfully earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame.
Kevin Western
Growing up in his mother and father’s small family custom meat processing business, Kevin Western became a jack of all trades, learning all the ins and outs of the meat processing industry. The time he spent working at his family’s shop taught him the value of working his way up.
After becoming interested in meat snack sticks in 2003, Western began developing shelf-stable meat snack sticks in various sizes and flavors. He not only labored over the product itself, but over the packaging, look, and shelf stability. His dedication led him to become a leader in private-label meat snack sticks.
In 2014, Western created a modern processing plant, aimed to increase his business’s snack stick production. Western said “The new facility was able to over triple the production capabilities at the time and now boasts a capacity of six times the original volume throughput.”
Western’s greatest career highlight is not one moment, but rather the development and growth of his business over time. After leaving retiring from the meat business in 2023, Western spends his time with his wife, Heather, and their five grandchildren.
Western is most proud of the relationships he has developed over the years of his career, including his customers, vendors and employees. For those just starting out in the meat industry, Western recommends constantly learning from peers, working hard and consistently pursuing self education.
Mindy Brashears
Mindy Brashears, director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech University, formerly served as the under secretary for food safety. From 2019-2021, Brashears led the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service. She was instrumental in managing the food supply chain during the pandemic, and she is credited for multiple events, such as the Swine Inspection Modernization and Egg Inspection Modernization, during her time at FSIS. While leading the organization, she created a graduate fellowship for students in food safety, which supports FSIS priority research.
Now at Texas Tech, Brashears also works as a Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor, holding the Roth and Letch Family Endowed Chair for Food Safety. At Texas Tech, Brashears focuses on food safety and public health for pre-harvest and post-harvest production. In addition to her roles at Texas Tech, Brashears, serves on the Board of Directors for the International Stockman’s Education Foundation, as a Fellow in the National Academy of Inventors, on the Development Council for the American Meat Science Association and on the Academic Advisory panel for the Protein Pact.
A career highlight for Brashears back to her first day on the job at FSIS, where she faced the largest E. coli O157:H7 recall in history at that time. The recall and its aftermath set the path for her food safety research moving forward.
Brashears is an active advocate for women in the meat industry, creating and moderating the “Pink Ribbon Food Safety Task Force,” a Facebook page focused on women in food safety.
Looking back on her career, Brashears is most proud of her students. She is proud of seeing the knowledge passed down through her students, and believes that to be her greatest accomplishment.
Tommy Wheeler
Senior distinguished research scientist Dr. Tommy Wheeler is well-known in the meat science industry for his work in meat safety and quality, carcass composition and instrument grading.
He has spent the last 34 years of his life working for the USDA ARS, conducting research for this organization and leading the Salmonella Grand Challenge project.
Dr. Tommy Wheeler graduated from Texas Tech University with his Bachelor of Science in ag economics in 1984. He graduated with his Master of Science in meat science from Texas Tech in 1986 and earned his doctorate in meat science and muscle biology from Texas A&M University in 1989.
After completing his education, Wheeler joined the USDA-ARS’s U.S. Meat Animal Research Center as a research food technologist. He then became a research leader for the Meat Safety and Quality Research Unit in 2007, directing research programs for 12 scientists.
Wheeler is the immediate past-president of the American Meat Science Association, and he sits on multiple industry, scientific and academic advisory boards today. Wheeler has received multiple awards for his work and is credited for 263 scientific journal publications, 140 abstracts, 83 technical reports/proceedings, three patents and four book chapters.
One of Wheeler’s greatest career highlights was the Beef Carcass Grading Camera System and working to develop it and see it implemented in the industry. He is proud of working closely with industry colleagues to create meat industry and food safety solutions.
For young meat industry professionals, Wheeler recommends constantly learning, seeking out strong leaders and mentors and consistently expanding a professional network. He also urges young professionals to maintain their integrity and develop themselves into a highly reliable, trustworthy and capable worker.
Phil Hinderaker
Retired president of Alkar, Phil Hinderaker, has greatly expanded the Alkar business during his time in the industry. He took a small smokehouse manufacturer, Alkar, and led it to become a leader in thermal processing equipment and technology.
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, receiving a Bachelor of Arts from UW-Oshkosh and a Master of Business Administration from UW-Madison, Hinderaker began working for Wisconsin-based Alkar.
Hinderaker went on to expand technologies to help meat processors improve their operations. He also led the creation of a new headquarters, featuring a thermal processing technical center. Hinderaker received recognition for this work with the 1995 AMI Supplier of the Year Award going to Alkar.
Alkar then continued to expand, moving into international markets and receiving the Wisconsin Governor’s Exporter Achievement Award in 1994. During his career with Alkar, Hinderaker was on the the Boards of the American Meat Institute and the Meat Industry Suppliers Association.
One of Hinderaker’s most notable moments of his career was creating a large-quantity hot dog production machine, producing from one to five tons per hour. Alkar created the J-con continuous hotdog system in 1998, which became the primary industry system for skinless sausage production.
Hinderaker recommends future meat industry professionals find a job that they enjoy. He says, to succeed, professionals must work hard, show up and be prepared.
Though many producers have great products, relationships make all the difference. The Meat Industry Hall of Fame Class of 2023 are experts not only in meat, but in cultivating and building strong relationships with each farmer, supplier, vendor, customer and employee.
Induction ceremony
To celebrate the Meat Industry Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023, MIHOF is returning to an annual in-person honors ceremony, with this year’s induction reception taking place Aug. 2, 2024, during the AAMP American Convention of Meat Processors & Suppliers’ Exhibition in Omaha, Neb. The reception was sponsored by Multivac, Diamond Sponsor; Reiser, Gold Sponsor; and ESI Group, Reception Open Bar Sponsor.
The National Provisioner invites all meat and poultry industry professionals to join us in commemorating these seven leaders with our industry’s highest honor and recognizing the meat and poultry industry as the leading sector of North American food production.
Learn more about the Meat Industry Hall of Fame and this year’s in-person induction reception honors ceremony here.
