CHARLESTON, S.C. — The American Association of Meat Processors picked a hot one for the return of its annual convention to Charleston after 10 years — especially for a crowd that spends a fair amount of time in meat lockers.

The American Convention of Meat Processors & Suppliers' Exhibition celebrated its return to Charleston July 13-15, 2023, with a sold-out trade show floor and plenty of operational insights shared by presenters from across the industry.

During the Tumbling and Value-Added Machinery presentation, presenters shared their experiences with implementing equipment upgrades to improve their operational efficiency.

Presenter Mike Love, who owns Mattoon, Ill.-based Morgan's Meat Market with his wife Barb, said it comes down to, “What equipment fits your operation to give you the best value for what you’re trying to do for your customer.”

Love acquired Morgan's Meat Market six years ago and has added new equipment including a smokehouse, three tumblers and — earlier this year — an injector.

Posing the question “what will be your next stainless steel employee,” presenter Mark Reynolds advised identifying bottlenecks in your process when determining what equipment to by next. Find the task that everyone hates and simplify it by automating it.

Reynolds, who owns and operates Moberly, Mo.-based Country Meat Shop with his wife Lara, said  processors should prioritize adding equipment that will enable them to make new products that will increase sales while improving yield, eating quality and eye appeal.

A key consideration for investing in equipment upgrades is weighing the total cost of an employee, said presenter Jon Frohling, president of ScottPec Inc. Frohling suggested a maximum of two years return on investment is a good benchmark for weighing whether or not to implement new equipment.  

During the Fun with Flavors — Regional and International Flavors presentation, flavoring expert Bruce Armstrong said a good way for processors to add more flavor to their products is to, well, add more flavor. Armstrong recommended increasing the amount of a flavor added to a product by 15% to add a flavor-forward note that customers will notice.

“If you increase the seasoning, you will increase the flavor,” he said, adding that the No. 1 way to increase flavor is with salt. “If you increase your salt by approximately a tenth of a percent to two-tenths of a percent you will get an increase in flavor.”

When coming up with new products, flavor isn’t the only consideration for making a product connect with the consumer, Armstrong said.

“Give it a personality — give it a perception, give it a name,” he said. He suggested using colorful inclusions such as peppers or cheese to create products that can tie in to popular sports teams as an example. Another example he gave was calling a cinnamon and sugar flavoring “apple pie spice” to create the perception it is a superior product.

 And the Best of Show at 2023 ACMCs is …

Always a highlight of AAMP’s annual convention, the American Cured Meat Championships saw Crabtree, Pa.-based Bardine's Country Smokehouse claim the 2023 Clarence Knebel Best of Show Memorial Award, marking the second consecutive year that Bardine's garnered the grand prize during the ACMS. This year's winning entry was in the Boneless Ham - Commercial Class category. It was the company's fourth Best of Show award — each in a different category.

For the ACMC 2023 Featured Class: Specialty Loaf Product, Newhall Locker & Processing of Newhall, Iowa, claimed tops honors in the category.

AAMP’s F.W. Witt Supplier of the Year Award for 2023 honored Jon and Stephanie Frohling of ScottPec USA.

AAMP’s 85th American Convention of Meat Processors and Suppliers' Exhibition is scheduled for Aug. 1-3, 2024, Omaha, Neb.