Pennsylvania-based Holland Bros. Meats is a family-owned meat market co-owned by Mike Holland, who is in his family’s fourth generation in the meat business. After pivoting to selling meat from being a crops farmer, Mike Holland’s great-grandfather and his son started working together in the meat business.

Eventually, Mike’s grandfather and grandfather’s brother took over the business and set out to build a slaughter facility that lived up to Mike’s grandfather’s standards. Later, these two opened a retail store. They also started offering custom slaughtering and expanded the business through this venture.

Mike and his cousin Brock Holland both were raised in their family’s business, and though they pursued other avenues after high school, they both began working at Holland Bros. Meats. Holland’s family wanted them to work elsewhere first to get a full understanding of how to be an employee without family in charge.

“When we started, we were in sanitation. We had to learn how to clean everything,” Mike said. “And our dad said ‘If you can’t clean anything, you’re not gonna be able to do anything else right.’”

Holland said that cleanliness has brought his family’s business to the way it is now.

“That was where we always started out. That’s where a lot of our new employees always start out, is learning how to clean things, whether it be dishes, equipment. It just sends a good message to them: You have to start out clean, or you’re not gonna be clean,” Mike said. “So that was one of the big reasons Holland Brothers expanded from a little retail store in another business to where it is today.”

After buying out their fathers from Holland Brothers around seven or eight years ago, Mike and his cousin have continued to work on their family business.

“We’re still growing the business. We’re still trying to live up to the expectations that our forefathers set before us and the expectations to continue to improve,” Mike said. Though he noted growing the business has been a challenge for them, they have been doing so.

Although COVID impacted everyone in the food industry, Mike noted that that time actually benefitted his business’s sales. “COVID really increased our retail sales because when everybody was out of it, of meat, we were producing because we had our own slaughter floor,” he said. “So we never ran out.”

Mike noted that his business gained new customers at that time, and they were impressed with Holland Bros.’ offerings.

Though the custom slaughtering propelled the business at the beginning, eventually, the catering side has started to take more of a prominent position in their business. “What we are, is, we have a retail, we do catering, and we do slaughtering. Not only slaughtering for our own selves, for retail, for custom slaughtering,” Mike said.

He said his business’s most popular fresh meat offering is their hamburger product. “We slaughter our own animals in house, and we produce that burger in house,” he said. “So that burger, when it is ground, that meat is never over a week old. So the freshness, the color, the non-preservatives, it really relates to our customer base. It’s what they’re looking for.”

“As far as our smoked meats and our processed meats, I would say our biggest sellers are what we win national awards for through AAMP. And that would be our hot dogs, our kolbassi, our hams and our bacons,” Mike said. “Those things are pretty much a staple in this area. If you were to have a holiday ham, more than likely, you’re having a Holland Brothers ham.”

Holland Bros. has won various awards for their products. Mike said he won the Best of Show this year at the state PAMP show.

“One of the awards that really does mean a lot to me was two years ago, I won the best ham in the state. That judge was Ed Woods.” Receiving such positive feedback on his product from a prominent industry figure was significant to Mike.

As a business owner, Mike prioritizes his employees. “We’re family-owned, we’re local … We have 17 employees, and [the] way we look at our business is that’s 17 families that we’re providing for, and every customer that comes in here helps provide for them.” He noted that this motivates him in his position as a business owner.

He said that within the last year and a half, his company has focused on investing into its employees.

“I’m not here to get rich. I’m here to make a good honest living, but I want my employees to have that same opportunity that I do,” Mike said.

Looking forward, Mike said Holland Bros. is expanding its online market, making all of its products available to purchase online. Mike noted that his business is primarily targeting East Coast customers with this online store.

Holland Bros. is also investing in a rollstock machine, aiming to improve packaging and drive sales.