Meaty proposition: Red Frazier Bison, Rice's Quality Meats now under same ownership

While searching for a possible partnership in processing bison meat, Zach Martin with Red Frazier Bison surprised himself by talking about purchasing Rice's Quality Meats in Spencer. In February, the deal was officially closed with ownership of the longtime meat processing plant and market moving from owner Tim Rice to Martin.

It wasn't something Martin anticipated, but he's enthusiastic about the purchase and has been working with Rice and Rice's employees to learn how to run the operation while still overseeing Red Frazier Bison.

Why the conversation with Rice's happened

One of the major "fallouts" from COVID for Red Frazier Bison was access and availability of processing for bison meat, which became more difficult as some processors Martin had used either closed or were overwhelmed with business. That led Martin to Tim Rice, who said he was thinking of retiring.

"When our access to processing took a dive, I started looking," Martin said. "Before (COVID), it was tight and very scheduled. It had to be a very planned process but it was doable."

But with COVID, access to processing plummeted, greatly affecting how much bison meat was available to the restaurants that Red Frazier supplied as well as the products it sold at its store, online and at area farmers' markets.

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Rice's Quality Meats was the closest processing facility and has a good reputation, so Martin began talking with Rice.

"The timing just happened to work," Martin said. "It gave me the opportunity to fully vertically integrate the business. ... It really gives us control over our own destiny in regard to the growth of the company."

Integrating Rice's and Red Frazier Bison takes time

While the purchase of Rice's Quality Meats happened earlier this year, Martin didn't share the information widely for several months. During that time, he was working along with Red Frazier Bison's CFO Jennifer Karnes, and Rice to learn how to operate the processing plant and market. The goal was to keep the current employees, which was accomplished, Martin said.

"I inherited a pretty incredible crew here," he said on a recent Friday. Rice's currently has 15 employees who Martin called "very experienced. Everybody has bought in and is wanting to make this work. ... I couldn't have made this giant leap in my career without people like this."

Red Frazier Bison has three employees: Karnes, who Martin said is crucial for both companies; Justin Walker, who runs the food trailer and promotes both companies; and Mark Huffman, ranch manager.

In May, Red Frazier Bison closed its retail store on West 17th Street in Bloomington and let customers know they were moving to Rice's, located southeast of Spencer.

"Now were introducing (Red Frazier products) and integrating it into what Rice's currently offers," Martin said.

Even with the integration, Martin plans to keep the names of Rice's and Red Frazier Bison separate as the businesses continue.

The Red Frazier Bison ranch is in Greene County, northwest of Solsberry. Having a processing plant in neighboring Owen County is convenient and closer than the previous processing plants Red Frazier used. The ranch still raises bison that are then processed for meat that now can be sold at Rice's, as well as Bloomington locations including Butcher's Block, Bloomingfoods and Rose Hill Farm Stop.

The addition of Rice's Quality Meats means that Martin is now learning how to process and sell beef, hogs, elk, venison, lamb and goat. Summers are busy. Many people who purchase animals from area county fairs have that meat processed at Rice's, something that's been done for decades.

"We're really that special meat business out in the county," Martin explained. "Tim Rice and his family built a tremendous meat business out here."

In addition to providing custom meat service, Rice's sells the meat of all the animals it processes except venison, which is prohibited by state law. Chicken, provided by Miller Poultry, is also processed and sold.

"We have a wide variety of special bratwurst, sausages, all cuts of beef," he said, adding they can smoke meats in-house as well. The Rice family has shared all their recipes, which began when Tim Rice's father, Jim, began the Owen County business.

"It's given me a fantastic platform for what I want to do," Martin said. He plans to start offering some alternative meat options for Red Frazier Bison including jerky, sausages, salami and pepperoni. A snack stick is already being sampled and sold.

"It's been a real win-win for us to jump in and have all that knowledge and capability. I'm really enjoying Spencer and becoming more involved in the county."

Reach Carol Kugler at ckugler@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Red Frazier Bison, Spencer's Rice's Quality Meats under same owner