Location: Seymour, Mo.
Owner: Marcus Knepp
History: Marcus Knepp started Quality Meat Co LLC in October 2017.
“I was looking for something to start for my family and this seemed like an opportunity in this area,” he said.
Around the same time, Marcus said others also saw the need, and custom processors began to spring up. He said the first couple of years were a little rough, but things changed when supply chain issues popped up in the wake of COVID.
“That pretty much put us on our feet because people were looking for processors,” he said.
Products and services: Quality Meat Co offers custom processing of beef, pork, sheep, goats and deer.
Marcus and his crew process 60 to 80 animals each month; numbers vary depending on the time of year. Cattle are usually the main species processed, but hogs are also very popular.
Customers can choose a variety of cuts, including tomahawk steaks and flat irons.
“We do the cuts they request,” Marcus said. “We will do pork breakfast sausage and our brats.”
Quality Meat Co also offers all-natural smoked hams and bacon.
“We do it the old-fashioned way,” Marcus said. “We soak our bacon in a brine for several days, up to a week. We don’t have a vacuum tumbler where it will put all of the brine into the bacon overnight. We inject the ham with the brine, then soak it as well. After it comes from the brine, we smoke it and then package it. We don’t use any liquid smoke. I think most people are pretty happy with it.”
Deer processing is available, but he said they don’t “push it.” Deer products include summer sausage and snack sticks.
At this time, Marcus said they do not plan to add USDA inspections because they keep busy with the custom processing side.
Business philosophy: “We like to be as honest as we can, and if we make a mistake, we certainly do our best to compensate for it,” Marcus said. “That has served us well since we started and I am grateful for that.”
