From the slaughterhouse to the grocery store
Jack Link's Beef Jerky is found on shelves of many convenient stores. The headquarters are located in Minong, Wisconsin.
June 4, 2010
Filed under JCS Press, Spotlight
Written by Hayley Boyle, reporter
Those who have seen the movie “Fast Food Nation” may not enjoy eating beef jerky. That must be the minority, because the meat snack industry is booming. The person who makes it all happen is Troy Link.
Troy Link, President of Jack Link’s Beef Jerky, worked in his father’s slaughterhouse when he was 16 years old. He never minded the job because it was just another day’s work. His father Jack, was inspired to start Jack Links Beef Jerky in 1985. The Link family had been in the slaughterhouse and grocery store business for three generations.
Jack Link’s Beef Jerky Company, with headquarters in Wisconsin, ships to 25 countries including Korea, Mexico, and Russia. There are over 2,000 employees who all pride themselves on having the best-selling brand of beef jerky in North America according to Link. Jack Link’s has 12 flavors of jerky, including turkey jerky, ham jerky and several other flavors.
Who would have thought there were so many flavors of dried meat? Link says his favorite is always the newest flavor, but he will always have a soft spot for Teriyaki. He is always on the lookout for new flavors, so the next time you walk into any 7-Eleven, Wawa, or similar convenience store, you will see a variety of Jack Links products.
The jerky business is slow but still profitable. To stay strong during hard times, most of the company’s profits are put right back in towards advertising, creating more flavors, and hiring more employees all for the growth of the business. Link has never considered bankruptcy and hopes to never have to. “I’d rather shoot for the stars and miss than aim for the crap pile and hit it,” Link said when asked about his outlook on life.
Although Link is hard at work, he always makes time for the things he enjoys. Living in South Dakota, Link enjoys hunting and traveling. Owning a 74-foot Lazzara motor yacht, aptly named Jerky Time, he loves to travel to the Caribbean where he goes snorkeling, scuba diving, and fishing.
Could a vegetarian be tempted to try sweet and spicy Thai jerky? That is something to chew on. These meat snacks might be something to consider.
Hayley Boyle can be reached for comment at boylhay12@jcpatriot.org