How do lawn mower repair, meat processing and pet product manufacturing all fit together?
Just ask Vernon Beechy of Beechy’s Custom Meats in Shipshewana, Indiana.
Vernon launched a small custom meat processing business in 2009, primarily focusing on wild game for members of the Amish community surrounding Shipshewana in northeastern Indiana. The meat processing complimented the small engine repair business he had as well.
“It worked out well,” he said. “In the spring and summer I would be busy tuning up lawn mowers and other yard equipment. Then, in the fall, I could swing over to processing wild game.”
Beechy’s Custom Meats also processed local beef and hogs, and the business steadily grew, with the help of his sons. As the volume of beef and pork processing increased, so too, did the amount of offal that needed to find a home. He was approached by a company interested in making pet food and began experimenting with that opportunity.
In 2023, Vernon and his family attended the Pet Food Forum in Kansas City, MO, and sat in a presentation by Flower Hill Institute Regional Director Dave Carter. Vernon and Dave visited in the hallway afterward and discussed the opportunity to expand that portion of his business.
Back home, Beechy’s Custom Meats was steadily growing. Vernon started the process to become state inspected and initiated expansion of his cooler facility. “Before we started pushing dirt, I was approached by someone offering Styrofoam insulation. It’s great insulation, so I chose to use it in my facility,” he said.
Once the project was underway and the insulation installed, Vernon hit a major snag.
“Because Styrofoam is a petroleum product, it’s considered a fire hazard,” he explained. The local jurisdiction told Vernon that he would need to install a fire suppression system that would cost more than could ever be recouped.
“The two options available were to tear out the insulation, or to file for a variance,” he noted. “I couldn’t afford to start over, so I spent nine months working with attorneys to try and obtain a variance.”
He also reached out to Flower Hill Institute for assistance. Dave and fellow Regional Director Chris Roper worked with Vernon to identify options that would allow Vernon to keep his current insulation while also addressing potential fire hazards.
“The research and the information that Flower Hill had was very beneficial. I can’t be thankful enough for their help,” he said.
With county approved modifications and an alarm system tied directly into the local fire department in place, Vernon was able to move forward with his expansion.
He obtained a Grant of Inspection from the State of Indiana last March and has installed new equipment for both meat processing and pet products. The pet products are mostly processed under private label for local companies.
Vernon focuses on making clean label products with dehydrated livers, hearts and kidneys, but also manufactures raw ground pet food, bone broth, and jerky made from meat scraps and pumpkin.
“We help develop their recipes, and test their products,” he said.
His success with his pet products is helping his overall meat processing business grow.
“Now, instead of paying the renderers to haul these products away, we can make a little money from the scraps, which helps all my customers,” he said.