About Jennings Premium Meats
The Beginnings of Jennings Premium Meats
In 1954, Oscar “Pop” Jennings and his brother-in-law Orville Struchtemeyer started their very own butcher shop in the small town of New Franklin, Missouri. Located equidistant from St. Louis and Kansas City, along the original Katy Railroad (now the Katy Trail), Pop and Orville began Jennings Premium Meats by cutting and curing specialty meat products for local farmers in the area and surrounding counties.
Expanding Our Business
In 1968, Pop’s son Keith joined the business, expanding the company into the retail meat market. With Keith on board, the company began offering fresh meat, custom cut to the likes of its customers. Keith got the company involved in many trade organizations and even served as president of the Missouri Association of Meat Processors. He was later named to their Hall of Fame.
A Third Generation
Pop’s grandson, Jason, became involved in the business in 1988. The company expanded into additional processed meat products including smoked hams, bacon, Pop’s Snack Sticks, jerky and sausages. These products have won Jennings Premium Meats some of its greatest awards at both state and national levels. Jason continued the company’s involvement in trade organizations by serving as president of the American Association of Meat Processors, as well as the Missouri Association, where he was named to their Hall of Fame. In 2011, Jason was the recipient of the prestigious Richard L. Knowlton Innovation Award, given each year to a meat processor with outstanding service to the trade business.
The Future of Jennings Premium Meats
While we now focus on Pop’s Snack Sticks and being premier private label meat manufacturers, Jennings Premium Meats is still located at the site of the original butcher shop in New Franklin, Missouri. In the last few years, we have built upon our existing space, and our facilities include new equipment that is up-to-date with the latest technology and capabilities.
Our business may have shifted, but Jennings Premium Meats continues to build upon our 65+ years’ legacy of exceptional customer service.
