If there’s one thing we can agree on, it’s that today’s small and mid-sized business owners don’t have it easy. While the majority of business owners in the meat and poultry processing industry may be experts on the industry, running the day-to-day operations of the business is often overwhelming for many of them.

The old saying, “What doesn't kill you makes you stronger,” has a great deal of truth to it, especially as far as 2009 was concerned. For some companies, it was a great year – pretty close to business as usual, with a couple of small hiccups along the way.

The meat-processing industry seems to have several high-profile mergers and acquisitions each year — most recently the acquisition of Pilgrim’s Pride by Brazilian processing giant JBS SA, also the parent company of JBS Swift.

In recent years, the veal industry has experienced tough times. Per capita consumption in the United States, which peaked in the 1940s at 8 pounds per person per year, is

After two years, The Independent Processor has proven that creativity and openness to new ideas can provide a company of any size with an award-winning idea. While this industry is

As a 70-year-old, family-run supplier of premium deli meats, Dietz & Watson is not afraid of a little retail competition. “Our line of meats and cheeses are second to none,

Hope certainly was a word being tossed around quite liberally at the turn of 2009 but it doesn’t appear that any high hopes materialized too much in regard to the sausage industry. Sure, dollar sales were up 3 to 4 percent across the three segments tracked by Information Resources Inc.

Robotics have an increasingly important role in maintaining a food supply that is safe, efficient and cost-effective. To gauge the robotics industry’s importance of the food sector, the Robotic Industries Association (RIA) of Ann Arbor, Mich., sent out a survey to member companies in December 2009.

This article focuses on those projects tied to initiatives that are critical for a company to remain competitive. They are typically longer in duration and involve all or multiple segments of the organization.

By Sam Gazdziak Since Seltzer’s Smokehouse was founded in Palmyra, Pa., 1902, the company has seen many historic events — the Great Depression, two world wars, the birth of the