For years, the meat supply chain has been dominated by the largest of the large processors. It has been a combination of steady growth and unregulated acquisitions that have put the bulk of the raw meat supply in the hands of a handful of corporations. And things worked, more or less. The meat supply chain was able to provide readily available, affordable protein to the public. Those large processors were able to dominate the industry, but they left enough niches that others could fill.
As it turned out, there was plenty of opportunity in those niches. Small and mid-sized companies could be nimble and capitalize on changing consumer tastes to produce new products. They found audiences, whether it was in their hometown or home region. Small processors who had their own slaughter capabilities were able to harvest enough animals to create a steady, independent meat supply.