While visiting Spartanburg Meat Processing in South Carolina for this issue's cover story, I was struck by two things. One, it was the best smelling plant I've ever visited. With apologies to the other places I've visited in my time with the magazine, but nothing tops the scent of cooked ribs and barbecue sauce.
Two, the company delivers ribs to IKEA. I've shopped there before and think of it mainly as a place with funny-sounding furniture names and almost indecipherable assembly instructions. I've never thought about the store's cafeteria before or who supplies their meat products, but it's become a successful business for Spartanburg Meat.