American Association of Meat Processors member Lorentz Meats is announcing the retirement of Rob Lorentz, owner and COO. When parents Ed and Mary Lorentz purchased the local Bremer Bros. locker in Cannon Falls, Minn., in 1968, Rob's lifelong dedication to the family business began. He supported Lorentz Meats at its original location for 30 years, stepping in where needed in the deli, at catering events or at satellite locations. Eventually, Lorentz was the processor, slaughtering every animal and making every pound of sausage that went through the building.
In 1998, Lorentz and his brother Mike bought Lorentz Meats from their parents and embarked on creating a new type of meat processor, opening the USDA-inspected facility just outside of Cannon Falls in 2000. This facility is built to slaughter beef and bison, further process all proteins, make and package fresh and cooked sausage products and package retail-ready cuts and grinds, all under one roof.
For the last 24 years, Lorentz has pulled Lorentz Meats along, combining the virtues of Ed and Mary and his own stubborn determination (a “just get it done” attitude that got it done). The building he and Mike designed started as a 10,000-square-foot full-service processing facility. It has since had three major expansions, each designed, driven and overseen by Lorentz, bringing the building to 55,000 square feet. With each expansion, because of Lorentz's planning, zero production days were lost.
Lorentz also used his experience/expertise to start Vermont Packinghouse, a joint venture of Lorentz Meats, creating a successful replica of the business model that was eventually sold. Originally with about 25 employees, there are now 150 employees at Lorentz Meats, hoping to continue the path Lorentz paved.
Lorentz and his wife Julie were also long-time executive secretaries for the Minnesota Association of Meat Processors. In 2020, they were given the Outstanding Service Award from the American Association of Meat Processors. That award is presented to AAMP state affiliate association leaders whose dedication and enthusiasm have elevated the association to an outstanding degree.
“We wish Rob and his wife and family well and thank him deeply for all he has done to build and support Lorentz Meats, the community of Cannon Falls, the niche meat industry and each of us individually,” the company said in a statement.
