MEAT+POULTRY - February 2015 - 41

S M A L L B U S I N E S S M AT T E R S

custom slaughter and processing, as well as
retail sales. He operated under Michigan meat
inspection until the state discontinued its
program. He never pursued federal inspection
and focused on the custom and retail work.

RETAIL READY

In the brat category, most of those products
are the skinless versions most popular among
their clientele.
While frozen meats hold center stage in
their small-but-mighty retail area, they also
have a fresh-cutting service counter and a
deli that numbs the imagination with 22 types
of cheese, including temptations such as
blueberry cheddar and chocolate cheese.
Bob's Processing also does a solid business
in elk, buffalo and venison sausage, snack
sticks, patties and loaves. The company still
does custom big-game processing, but requires
sportsmen to bring in the raw material clean
and boneless.
Their custom service includes smoking
fish, from lake trout to whitefish and peppered
salmon. Fishermen can drop off their catch
in a bag-and-tag drop box 24 hours a day and
pick up their smoked fish the following week.
They also purvey Norwegian salmon and a hefty
amount of smoked shrimp.

"Yes, we
include
cooking
instructions
on our
products, but
we also let
them know
they will get
our years of
experience
with every
purchase."

Today, retail represents about 80 percent of
the volume for Bob's Processing, with smaller
percentages attributable to catering, custom
work and a small amount of wholesaling
permitted under inspection rules.
With Judy, his wife of 45 years, and son
Scott, now 43, and three other employees, this
diminutive butcher shop has relied on heavy
investment in equipment to save on labor costs
and maximize its capabilities.
"We have two smokehouses, an Alkar and
a Vortron, and went heavily into catering with
two 700-lb. Southern Pride outdoor cookers,"
he notes. "We got a sausage stuffer, then went
to a water stuffer and then up to a Vemag
system. Recently, we added a
rollstock machine and an Anco
slicer that goes through a bacon
slab in about 13 seconds."
Bob says the equipment
upgrades were a Godsend and have
with CES/Foodlogistik Dicers.
allowed the business to smoke
custom products and make custom
sausage for nearby processors,
* Fresh &
transforming his company into "the
Tempered Meat
biggest little meat market in the
* Poultry
area."
* Cheese
Equipment aside, it has been
* Roasting Meat
Bob's fervor to run the business
* Sausages
right that has been the guiding
* Cold Cuts
light for the firm. The Filbrandt
home is right in front of the shop,
Foodlogistik dicers are
* C120
allowing him to walk out the back
* C90
perfect dicing and portioning * C90+
* C140
door to check on product that the
of fresh or tempered frozen * C105
* C150
plant was smoking in a matter of
meat (up to -4º)
* C105+
minutes.
The shop has an almost
HABLAMOS ESPANOL LLAMAMOS HOY
unimaginable line-up of specialty
products, ranging from their
headliner prime ribs and spiral
cut hams, to 15 flavors of chicken
breasts, six styles of bacon (plus
For more information contact: Don Ballein
CES/Foodlogistik U.S.A. * 2128 M So. Grove Ave.
Canadian and Kelly, made from
Ontario, CA 91761 U.S.A.
Please visit our website
pork shoulder), to bratwursts
Tel (909) 947-8511 * Fax (909) 627-0087
that pop with variety and flavor.
Toll Free 1-888-278-0885
dballein@foodlogistik.com

Fast * Accurate Dicing!

www.foodlogistik.com
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MEAT+POULTRY - February 2015

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