ROEBUCK, SC. — Knockout Butchery held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new beef processing facility near Roebuck, SC, on July 29.

Owners Travis and Misty Howard currently operate a facility in Pauline, SC. With the added beef plant, they will quadruple their processing capacity. After the new Knockout Butchery facility opens, they plan to convert their existing facility into a pork processing operation, where local producers can bring their sows to process for resale.

Located off Walnut Grove Road in Spartanburg County, the new facility will be able to process up to 35 head of cattle per week and create between seven and 10 jobs. Knockout Butchery intends to become a USDA-inspected facility.

“This facility is being built by farmers, for farmers,” Travis Howard said. “Our customer base has stood behind us for the past seven years, and that gave us the strength and trust to go forward with all of this.”

The owners invested $2.6 million in the facility, which was supported by a $600,000 grant from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. It was one of seven beef processing projects to receive funding from the agency in a round of $3.4 million in grants in March 2023.

Knockout Butchery will offer beef cuts as well as custom smoked products, including summer sausage, snack sticks and jerky. The facility will feature a storefront in addition to a venue for butcher and agriculture education.

“Our goal is to keep the younger population interested in where their food comes from, and in farming and agriculture in general,” Misty Howard said. “We’re very excited for what the future holds for us, as well as the hard work we’re willing to put in to give the best service to our farmers and our customers.”