Meat+Poultry - June 2019 - 80

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

Steven's father and
uncle, Francis R. "Butch"
(left) and John Fisher,
took over ownership
of the store in 1975.

in the area, but with the latest plant remodel,
the company name returned to its original
Fischer spelling.

SAUSAGE SPECIALTIES
One thing that has not changed is the
company's original German sausage recipes.
There are over 30 varieties of fresh and
smoked sausage that utilize the same family
secret spices. Over the years products like
summer sausage have also included flavorings
like cheese and jalapeño.
"We used to make 400 lbs. of summer
sausage at a time and when we tried the cheese
and jalapeño version it was only 25 lbs. in a
batch," Fisher notes. "Now we are about 400
lbs. for both varieties."
Fischer's Meat Market has grown to over 80
employees, including at least 20 meat cutters
and butchers.
The family also raises its own cattle and
operates a feedlot where 30 to 80 cattle are
finished at a time. The company obtains
cattle from local producers, but for price
and efficiency considerations also purchases
packer-supplied beef and hogs as well.
Fischer's is one of the most popular
facilities for farmers and ranchers who want
their livestock slaughtered and processed.
They are also very cost conscious of every
service they provide. For example, on order
sheets, there is an upcharge for getting rid of
inedible product, double wrapping, a per-pound
further processing fee, deboning cuts and even
smaller package sizes.

80

MEAT+ POULTRY | 06.19 | www.meatpoultry.com

Sportsmen flock to the big game animal
shop during hunting season. The firm takes
hide-on or skinned deer and elk carcasses
and even boneless meats for processing into
value-added sausage and snack items. They do
an estimated 1,100 carcasses a year.
In addition, they will make custom product
to the specifications of a customer's own
recipe. Most of their services are featured on
their website fischersmeatmarket.com. They
ship meats and cheese orders as far away
as Alaska.
Advertising for the family owned business
also includes billboards, flyers, local
newspaper advertising and sponsorships and
donations to local and area sports, church and
civic organizations.
They also offer party platters and gift
boxes with their summer sausage and smoked
cheeses for the holiday seasons.

ALL IN THE FAMILY
Fisher, 53, gets great support from not only
his wife, brother and daughter, but also from
two other daughters who pitch in during busy
times.
His biggest concern has for years been
overregulation of the business. "You always
want your children to someday take over the
business, but you don't want them constantly
subjected to so much on the regulatory front
that they find it is not as much fun as it should
be, making great products and running a
family business.
"All small family operated businesses are
a lot alike in many ways. They have to find
their niche, do what works best for them
and always be on the lookout for things or
new products, or ways to make them, that
holds promise. Our thing is our German
heritage and traditional products made the
way customers expect them to be. We sell
groceries, wines and beers as well. But what
we have done as a family for the past 92 years
makes it special for us. Every processor has
to find something unique that they make or
the way they make it. Sausage has been and
continues to be our mainstay."
Steven Fisher won't deny he was handed
a silver spoon of a plant. But what makes him
and his family so special is that he's turned that
spoon into pure gold by combining German
craftsmanship and Texas hospitality.
http://www.fischersmeatmarket.com http://www.meatpoultry.com
Meat+Poultry - June 2019

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