Meat + Poultry - October 2009 - 36

ATHLETIC APPROACH

Earl Campbell Meat Products specializes
in smoked sausages. Its biggest seller is
the spicy Earl Campbell's Hot Link.

"Outside of having a good product,
it always takes a team," says Campbell, who cites a football analogy to
make his point. "I can't take all of
the credit because somebody has to
throw the blocks and somebody has
to catch the passes. People have made
me look good."
Campbell says his sons - Tyler
and Christian - have begun to play
integral roles in the business. "They
are the front guns now," he adds.
Walker's company had about $70

Campbell says his
products wouldn't have
taken off if it wasn't for
the team he developed
to market them.
million in 2008 sales. Chicken accounts for almost 75 percent of the
company's revenues. Renaissance
Man also sells precooked ribs, bacon and other items under the Herschel's Famous 34 and H. Walker
Foods brands. Most of the company's meat and poultry business is in
foodservice, but Walker wants to do
more business in retail. Walker says

sales "are coming around" this year,
despite the economy.
Walker says a home-style chicken
strip is the company's best-selling item.
"I'll compare it to any chicken strip
in the industry," he says. "I think it's
the best chicken strip out there."
About three years ago, Walker embarked on a joint venture with privately held Simmons Poultry Farms. He
co-owns a chicken processing plant in
Siloam, Ark., with Simmons.
Walker credits ConAgra and Tyson
Foods for helping him get his business
started by co-packing his products.
Walker says he wanted to have his own
plant to learn more about the business,
not to mention gain the cost savings of
producing his own products.
Walker counts his blessings when
he speaks of his football career. He's
thankful for the millions he made
because it has enabled him to do
things like start Renaissance Man
and provide jobs to friends and family members.
"I like that I'm creating jobs for
others," says Walker, noting he doesn't
draw a salary and donates 15 percent
of his company's earnings to charity.
Jackson's N'Genuity offers a vari-

36 * Meat&Poultry * October 2009 * www.MeatPoultry.com

ety of products under its own brand
name and Jackson's name, including ground beef, cooked meats, deli
meats, portion-controlled steaks,
chicken, turkey, veal and seafood.
Some of the products are based on
Jackson's recipes.
In 2005, N'Genuity struck a deal
with meat-industry giant Cargill
Meat Solutions of Wichita, Kan., to
produce and jointly market products
for U.S. government, commercial,
retail and foodservice customers.
N'Genuity also works with Sysco
Corp., the nation's largest foodservice
supplier, to distribute its products to
restaurants and institutions throughout the country. N'Genuity's sales
were $70 million in 2008.
The company touts Jackson's
cooking prowess - not this football
skills - in company literature. "From
our perfect cuts of prime rib to our
extensive menu of individually quickfrozen products, every item must
meet Bo's personal approval," the
literature states.
Ryan says he spent years trying to
fi nd a consistent, high-quality steak,
but couldn't. "I fi nally decided the
only way I could guarantee beef that

http://www.MeatPoultry.com

Meat + Poultry - October 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meat + Poultry - October 2009