White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. (Jan. 20, 2023) – Mountain Steer Meat Company has invited the community to attend a grand opening and ribbon cutting January 25 at its retail shop at 169 Pocahontas Trail, White Sulphur Springs. The small business, which specializes in the aging of beef, has expanded its operations and added a new processing facility.
The open house will be from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. with the ribbon cutting at 12:30 p.m. Attendees will be able to tour the retail store and meet owners James Tuckwiller and Frank Ford.
Judy Moore, executive director of the West Virginia Hive and president of the Country Roads Angel Network (CRAN), said “Mountain Steer Meat Company is not only a client of the Hive but one of CRAN’s proudest investments. We appreciate that James and Frank came to us early on and allowed us to work with them on this timely business concept.”
Moore said Mountain Steer Meat Company secured an investment of $100,000 from CRAN and a $249,660 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to help them finance its business expansion. The Country Roads Angel Network is West Virginia’s only accredited angel investment network, serving all 55 counties of the state.
Tuckwiller and Ford founded the company in June 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The opportunity to start Mountain Steer came when supply chains were disrupted by COVID-19 and led to a beef shortage in West Virginia,” said Tuckwiller. “Our farms were dependent on facilities in other states to process meat from our cattle,” he said. “Steer born and raised in our region was processed and packaged out of state, only to be brought back to West Virginia for sale. Our goal at Mountain Steer is to simplify operations and provide a processing facility right in our area, ensuring our customers pay reasonable prices and enjoy knowing what they are consuming is locally grown, superior beef from start to finish.”
Tuckwiller said the company has created six jobs (a head butcher, four meat cutter/butcher assistants, and an administrator). Mountain Steer currently serves two local county school districts (Greenbrier and Nicholas County School Systems), the local IGA grocery store, and eight local restaurants. “We hope to expand our Mountain Steer family by offering annual and lifetime memberships to loyal customers who value quality products and sustainable methods,” said Tuckwiller. “These memberships offer discounted rates on all products in the retail shop, preferential service at special events, and exclusivity to our upcoming member events.”
Jack and Kathleen Taggart, owners of New River Farms Sawmill in Danese, made their home in West Virginia after Jack’s service in the United States Army to settle and start the business of their dreams.
Leaders of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) and its entrepreneurial program – the West Virginia Hive – are seeking the community’s input by the end of the year on several aspects of a new Food Business Incubation Hub in Fayette County.
Leading local non-profit organizations — Forward Southern West Virginia and New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) — are donating $10,000 each to help propel an education and training campaign, Project GRACE (Gathered Response to Address Child Exploitation), being coordinated by Just for Kids Child Advocacy Center serving Fayette and Raleigh counties.
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