Meat&Poultry -- April 2014 - 18

Cover Story

M

C
California

ore than 1,300 miles west of cattle-centric Mid-

on past successes under new ownership, new manage-

west cities such as Dodge City, where the hori-

ment, a new business philosophy and a new brand re-

zon is somewhat forgettable but the blustery winters and

vitalization program - plus its portfolio of high-quality

parched, dusty summers are anything but, Reggie Jensen

products are now being manufactured in a new process-

founded a beef business seven miles inland from the Pa-

ing plant in San Diego near Mexico's border. (Read plant

cific Ocean in Vista, Calif. That was in 1958 and since

feature on page 44).

then, the business that began by cutting premium steaks

Thanks to this new management team and production

for high-end hotels and restaurants has evolved into a

policies currently in place, the company was prepared

leading ground-beef processor for retail and foodservice

for the unexpected when it was recently impacted by an

customers - under new ownership and the guidance of a

8.7-million-lb. meat recall ignited by the slaughtering of

new executive management team.

alleged "diseased and unsound animals" from Rancho

Reggie couldn't have known at the time that Jensen

Feeding Corp., Petaluma, Calif. Jensen was a consign-

Meat Company would be thriving decades later, sales

ee in the Rancho Feeding Corp. recall as Rancho was a

would top $130 million and that the growing business

third-party vendor to Jensen. Since that time, Jensen has

would move into a new corporate/production complex in

severed ties with the supplier, and that supplier has since

San Diego - a city known for its pristine beaches, upscale

sold its business.

real estate prices and mild climate.

"We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to food-

Along the way, Reggie's son, Bob, became CEO and

safety issues, but if something happens - we are definitely

the business grew and evolved into a leading processor of

prepared," says Abel Olivera, Jensen's COO, of the recall.

quality ground-beef products for US-based foodservice,

"We have mock recall drills and go through the entire ex-

distribution, restaurant, retail and school markets. In line

ercise to make sure we're prepared. This was the first recall

with his secession plan, Bob sold his successful, growing

we were involved in over our 55-year history. Our team

business in September 2011 to a private-investor group

and ERP [Enterprise Resource Planning] computerized

headed by brothers Jeff and Gregg Hamann of El Cajon,

tracking systems were able to track all of the raw materials

Calif.-based Hamann Companies. In October 2013, Bob

within hours of the fi rst notification. We defi nitely have

retired and sailed into the sunset.

a robust system in place and a great team that was able to

Although the original Jensen Meat Co. may just be a
memory, the new Jensen Meat Co. is intent on building

18

* Meat&Poultry * April 2014 * www.MeatPoultry.com

track all products down to the batch."
"We're able to track through our systems - what area
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