Ranch House Meat Co. Grows from Local Shop to Industry Leader

Ranch House Meat Company is rapidly approaching its first anniversary at its Lockwood facility. And owner, Shane Flowers, was recently named president of the American Association of Meat Processors, an 86-year-old industry trade group that represents small and medium-sized meat processing companies. Flowers is the first person from Montana to hold the seat.

We caught up with Shane to congratulate him on this accomplishment, chat a little bit about their business, and discuss how Ranch House Meat Co. has become a success story in the highly competitive meat snack industry.

Credit Michael Foth, TSM

History of Ranch House Meat Co.

Flowers and his wife purchased Project Meats in Shepherd in 2007. It was a mom-and-pop slaughterhouse, providing butchering services for locals who would drop off their beef, pork, and game to be packaged or made into sausages.

Shane said it was always their goal to open a retail front, and in 2014, they did just that, with the first Ranch House Meat Co shop on Grand Avenue. Soon, they moved into the former Sweetheart Bread outlet store near 32nd and King Ave. They moved into the former Bar S Construction building in Lockwood in 2024.

Credit Michael Foth, TSM

From mom-and-pop to 42 employees.

The company has grown significantly by focusing on quality and innovation. They now produce 28,000 to 29,000 pounds of snack sticks weekly, with 30% being their branded products and 70% for other brands. They recently acquired a new stuffer capable of producing 1,200 pounds an hour.

Ranch House Meat Co. in Lockwood. Credit Michael Foth, TSM

They anticipate continued growth over the next 5 - 8 years. The Lockwood production facility is capable of turning out 30,000 pounds of products PER DAY. When the company reaches this level, Shane said their staff will double to nearly 100 employees by 2030, according to their projections.

Award-winning sausages, delightful jerky, tender steaks.

Ranch House Meat Co. recently won six gold and four silver medals in a German sausage competition, highlighting their excellence in meat processing. Their beef jerky is one of my favorite brands, and their summer sausage and meat sticks are so good. Flowers said their take-and-bake meal options are becoming increasingly popular, too.