Meat + Poultry - October 2009 - 38

ATHLETIC APPROACH

Walker says some industry people who
see him for the first time are surprised he
owns his own poultry company.

up with consumption trends and retail buying habits.
"If you don't pay attention with
what the consumer wants, it's going
to pass you by," Ryan says. "It's important to be on the edge and offer
consumers what they're looking for.
With the technology out there, things
change much faster than they used to."
Norman hopes to drive more Americans to discover Australian beef. There
are plans to extend the Norman line of
Wagyu beef to include patties, sliders,
franks and portioned steaks at retail.
"AAco is Australia's oldest company, headquartered in my home
state of Queensland, so a partnership
made sense," says Norman, whose
products are served in fi ne restaurants, clubs and resorts throughout
the United States.
"We're pleased with the progress
we've made in penetrating the foodservice channel," Norman says.
Norman believes Australian beef,
specifically the Wagyu line, is the
best around.
"AAco is the world leader in breeding Wagyu - the genetics it employs
in this process are second to none,"
he says. "The standards under which
this beef is processed and packed all
follow industry best practice."
Norman says each sub-primal is
graded individually on the Japanese
grading scale for marbling, color
and density, among other attributes.
This score is printed on the original
packaging, so chefs know the product they ordered is the product they
received, ensuring consistency. "The
marble score is perhaps our most important quality-assurance standard,"
Norman says.

Game plans
Just like on the football field, where
Campbell shed his share of blood,
sweat and tears, it has taken a lot
of hard work to get his product
recognized.

Walker credits
ConAgra and Tyson
Foods for helping
him get his
business started
by co-packing his
products."
"You have to be willing to spend
your Saturdays doing demos," says
Campbell, who has done his share of
them at various retail markets.
Campbell, who says he never had
an agent when he played football, says
he likes to make his own decisions, for
better or worse. "I've met some great
people [in the meat industry], and I've
met people who will tell you one thing
and do another," Campbell says. "It's
the same as it was in football."
Walker has found the meat and
poultry industry to be very competitive, and he's impressed with
its players.

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

"There are a lot of great poultry
companies out there, and I respect
them a great deal," he says. "I had
to humble myself a lot to learn this
industry, and I've learned a lot l in
nine years. A lot of good people have
helped me."
That said, Walker says some industry people who see him for the
fi rst time are surprised he owns his
own poultry company.
"They just assume I'm endorsing someone's company or working
for somebody and that I don't know
what I'm talking about," Walker says.
"That's insulting."
Jackson can empathize with Walker. Bo knows many people think professional athletes can only score touchdowns or hit home runs. Jackson says
he wants to be known as a savvy businessman, not just a good athlete.
Since joining the business, Jackson
has been eager to learn about it. He
has spent time in meat plants and understands, for example, what it means
to develop and maintain a Hazard
Analysis and Critical Control Point
program. He has learned what it takes
to bring meat and poultry products
from the farm to the table.
"If you see anything out there
with Bo Jackson's name on it, or an
N'Genuity label on it, trust me 100
percent that I know what's in the package, and I know what it took to get [the
package] to that point," Jackson says.
While he's a veteran on the producing side, Ryan says he has learned a lot
on the processing side, such as what it
takes to get meat products approved
for the retail and foodservice segments.
"There are a lot of moving parts,
and it has been a big learning curve
for me," Ryan says. "But it's something I enjoy because I have a passion
for the business."
Even though he believes his Wagyu line is superior, what Norman
has learned about the U.S. meat and
poultry industry has impressed him.
"The U.S. beef market is supported by a very dynamic industry that effectively serves the many lifestyles of

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Meat + Poultry - October 2009

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