Phil Schmidt started skinning deer and cleaning up a local meat market at the age of 17. Twenty years later the young man emerged knowing everything from how to properly clean the facility, how to run the sausage kitchen, how to cut meats and had a head loaded with management knowledge.

He came away with one other idea: building and running his own meat plant.

Phil and his wife Vicki talked about it and then followed through on the concept of leasing space at a mall near Greenville, Wis., to create this enterprise which would bear the name The Meat Block.

“It took everything we had to do it, but we started out with five employees, 1,500 square feet of retail store space and 1,900 more square feet for production and one smokehouse,” Phil recalled. “We didn’t pay ourselves when we were trying to get things going. We lived on credit cards, which we had never done before. Those days were all about having a meat business that shared our family values.”

Steady growth

That was the year of 2010. Within four years, the couple and their business partner Clyde Weycker and his wife Hollie, saw their new specialty meat shop grow to 15 employees, 2,700 square feet of retail space, a 5,700-square-foot production area, two smokehouses and a catering kitchen. In 2014, the Schmidts, understanding that many families were just too busy or unable to cook, opened a section of their retail store under the banner “The Chef.” In this sector they featured heat-and-serve meals to go, offering everything from pizzas, soups, homemade pot pies and even shredded meats that customers could take home, heat and eat. They also offered salads, sides, sauces and salsas. They even have a local bakery that operates a stand featuring their baked breads and rolls.

“Our tag line is ‘from our family to your table.’ For us it’s all about bringing families back to the dinner table,” Phil, now 50, said. “It’s where we get to know each other and how our day went. These moments are priceless. It was in our book of family values that families should have the fare that enabled them to have meals together. We didn’t just feel that we had to offer the best meats, but also help enable those who should eat together and spend family time together to do just that.

“Also in 2014, one of our employees asked if we might be interested in buying his family’s barbecue and grill sales shop nearby. We thought about it long and hard and realized that the grilling and outdoor eating season in Wisconsin is only a few months long. If someone couldn’t succeed in that business for a few months a year, they would be losing money during all those other months. We agreed to purchase that shop’s existing inventory and sell those type of items at the limited space we still had at The Meat Block space in the mall.”

That wing of the business operates as BBQ Pits ‘n Spits. For the Schmidts, you don’t just offer something for sale...you do it right. That section of The Meat Block doesn’t just sell grills and charcoal; they are a virtual barbecue nation under one roof. This branch of The Meat Block has blossomed into a division that designs complete outdoor kitchens, cooking grills and supplies, refrigeration, gas, electrical and charcoal systems and even storage areas.

When queried about whether any of The Meat Block’s force of 85 employees work at more than one division, Phil’s enthusiasm lights up:

“Absolutely yes,” he said. “You can buy a grill through the mail. But at BBQ Pits ‘n Spits, we have qualified people there to make sure you know how to use it on day one. I’m not just talking about how to turn it on, but how to use it properly for meats, poultry, seafood...you name it. Our people are experts, and we want to give [customers] recipes and teach them how to bring out the best in the meats they are making. Making them look good makes us look good.”

The Meat Block is a modern family business, with parents Phil and Vicki Schmidt leading their children in helping the company survive and thrive. (Source: Schmidt family)

Closing circle

If it appears that the rainbow showed up for the fledgling business in 2014, you are spot on. Not long after that, things grew even rosier for Phil and Vicki.

Before establishing The Meat Block, Phil had spent 20 years working at a nearby meat company. That business was Haen Meat Packing in nearby Kaukauna, roughly 18 miles away from Greenville. Haen Meat Packing was a standout processing house that took home awards for their meat products in state and national competition seemingly by the truckload.

Tim Haen, one of the four brothers who operated that company, explained that the brothers felt they had taken the company as far as they wanted to grow, and it was up for sale. Tim, who served as president of the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP) from 2013-14, was described by Phil as his life-long mentor. In 2021, The Meat Block bought the Haen business with its renown product line-up, it’s slaughtering facility, retail shop and custom processing operation. The plant manager at the former Haen facility is none other than Tim Haen.

When The Meat Block bought Haen Meat Packing Co., they also bought a vacant house adjoining the property. That space is now dedicated to a new 5,000-square-foot retail area in Kaukauna and is the location for the expanded BBQ Pits ‘n Spits.

Top-notch quality 

If it seems like Phil and Vicki were dealt nothing but aces, take a moment to read those cards closely. They have seven children including a 21-year-old son Logan who manages the grilling wonderland and daughter Taylor who has constantly updated the company website themeatblock.com, Facebook and other social media platforms. She does this remotely while attending college and updates the screens in the retail area showroom. Read it this way: it’s about family.

“We have serious family values and want our customers to feel them,” Phil said. “It pervades everything we do.

“Our beef is sourced from the 1855 Beef program. This is an elite line only offered to elite chefs, restaurants and meat markets. Only the very best USDA Choice and Prime Black Angus is used in this line, offering natural marbling and an incredibly rich beef flavor. It comes from Nebraska and Pennsylvania family ranchers and only 13% of all cattle qualify for the 1855 brand.

“Our poultry is all natural, antibiotic and growth hormone free,” Phil added. “We offer this from Gold‘n Pump and Gerber Amish birds and offer gourmet stuffed chicken breasts, marinated breasts and heart healthy chicken sausage products.”

The Meat Block is no slouch when it comes to the over 100 different products the company makes in the sausage and cured meat cuts areas, and they employ three Master Meat Crafters in the Fox River Valley to oversee that operation. Phil estimates the company’s five truck smokers will grow to 15 within the next year or so. The company also supports local agriculture through sales of maple syrup, honey, frozen fruits and other produce.

Phil has just finished serving on the board of directors of the Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors for the past 12 years and readily shares how it all happened:

“I’m old school and there is no pass for not getting it right. You have to create and accept the culture of today. Be proud of your products in the knowledge you’ve made them the best they can be and treat all employees and customers like they are family. And don’t be afraid to charge enough for your product...that’s easier when your customer knows they are getting the best.”

Phil adds that the firm is undergoing a rebranding to put all its products under The Meat Block brand and is having success in its early efforts to private label meats for livestock producers and co-pack for other small processors.

“We are actively looking to develop new business relationships and grow our business,” Phil said. “I couldn’t have done this without the support of my beautiful wife; thanks to her believing in me and my crazy dreams, we have been able to accomplish great things and we are not done yet.”