Legacy Maker Farms is officially launching following the acquisition and rebranding of Indiana beef farm Honey Creek Legacy by an investor group led by entrepreneur Steven Hershberger. An Indiana-born business leader with deep roots in food manufacturing and consumer packaged goods (CPG), Hershberger will serve as CEO and president of the newly introduced Legacy Maker Farms.

"With this acquisition, we can deliver the quality experience of Legacy Maker products to a much larger customer base,” said Hershberger. "At Legacy Maker Farms, we pledge to see ourselves as generational stewards of the land, the knife and the plate—and our commitment to the craft extends beyond remarkably good beef.

"Through the cultivation of absolute trust, a culture of care, the premium experience and enduring relationships, Legacy Maker Farms is set to bring a more intelligent, empathetic and innovative approach to serving our customers."

Over the course of his career, Hershberger has led several technology, analytics and CPG-based manufacturing companies. With 13 US patents in Internet of Things (IoT) and decision science, he has a proven track record of transforming insights and information into growth strategies and sustainable success. Born in Evansville, Ind., he lives in Carmel with his wife of 31 years. 

“As a culinary professional I understand the importance of quality, and as a retailer I understand the importance of experience. The Legacy Maker brand delivers some of—if not the finest—tasting Prime beef I’ve ever served,” said Craig Baker, executive chef, InterContinental Indianapolis. “I believe in this product so much that I put my reputation behind it every time I list it by name on my menu. I also believe in this brand’s mission of food contributing to high quality human-to-human experiences, which is something in this digital age we need more of.” 

Key initiatives already underway at Legacy Maker Farms include facility upgrades, new customer support and AI-driven capabilities, as well as exclusive partnerships within media, grocery, specialty and foodservice industries, along with enhanced market intelligence guided by ELI, the pioneering predictive intelligence system developed by Sooth. Ian Baer, founder and CEO at Sooth, will serve as Legacy Maker Farms’ CMO in a fractional capacity, and also as an advisor to Legacy Maker Farms’ Board of Directors.

"Our partnership with Steve and the Legacy Maker team illustrates why I started Sooth and why we built ELI," said Baer, who was named to ADWEEK’s inaugural Innovator 50 list for ELI's marketing industry impact. "Most companies develop products first, then position them as best they can, working from limited, often inaccurate data and hoping for the best. That's a bad bet, and why most product marketing and new brand launches fail.

"ELI flips the model. Every product and marketing decision Legacy Maker makes will be grounded in verified, predictive intelligence about what customers actually respond to. When a brand’s entire experience, from product to packaging and marketing, is built on that foundation, it works for the customer, not the other way around. We're honored to be part of this launch."

“Among food and beverage companies, there’s a traditional way of understanding the consumer. But Legacy Maker Farms is taking a different approach,” said Hershberger. “ELI sits at the nexus between consumers’ hearts and wallets, providing powerful insight into their needs, wants and purchasing decisions. With our marketing, product and broader growth strategy all guided by ELI and Sooth, our goal is to reshape what it means to be a food and beverage company that serves both commercial and consumer customers.”

Source: Legacy Maker Farms