A
picture is worth a thousand words, but
a scratch-and-sniff tab probably would be even more
valuable in telling the story of Lacy (B.S. in animal
production, ’93; M.S. in animal science, ’94) and Mi-
cah (B.S. in animal production, ’93; M.S. in food technology, ’95)
Butler, owners of Butler’s Smokehouse in Stephenville.
W ri t t e n b y : L a ura G ut s c h k e p h o t o s b y : arti e li mmer
Smoky aroma wafting from the USDA-inspected facility signals more than award-winning beef
jerky and other specialty meats. They are the
smells of success, a tribute to owners Lacy and
Micah Butler’s recipe for building from scratch a
small business that ships its products worldwide.
“We’re happy doing what we like doing on our
own terms,” said Micah.
Today Butler’s Smokehouse markets six jerky
products, USDA Prime steaks, cheeses, summer
sausage, steak seasonings and specialty hams and
turkeys. Lacy handles the office operations, and Micah focuses on marketing, sales and production.
Their primary product is jerky. Beef jerky
comes in original, pepper, Dr. Pepper and habanero pepper, and buffalo and elk jerky also are
available. In addition, the plant produces private
label jerky for other clients. On average, Butler’s
Smokehouse processes 2,000 pounds of meat a
week. Typically, three pounds of beef yields one
pound of jerky.
The evolution of Butler’s Smokehouse products since opening in November 1999 is the result of the Butlers’ business acumen to seize new
opportunities and adjust to changes in competition and customers’ tastes.
instilling important life lessons as well.
“Dr. Boyd Ramsey was the first guy telling all
us kids from small towns that we may have been
stars in our small towns, but now we were grownups and would be held accountable,” said Lacy.
“Pursuit of excellence is what you got from
Drs. Mark Miller and Gordon Davis. If you’re going to do something, do it right,” said Micah.
happy doing
“We’re
what we like doing
on our own terms
”
The husband-and-wife team also learned practical business skills when they worked for Dr. Davis at his educational company CEV Multimedia
Inc. after earning their master’s degrees. Lacy
helped with marketing, including production of
the company’s catalog and maintenance of its
Web site, and Micah worked in sales.
A chance to learn more about operating a
meat processing facility came in 1998 when the
Butlers were hired to manage a small meat locker
in Colorado City.
C arving a Niche
De veloping Their Skills
Operating their own business was always a
long-term goal for the Butlers shortly after they
married in 1994. Micah, who was raised in Olney, and Lacy, from Valley Mills, first met in undergraduate and graduate classes in the College
of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
Micah was a member of Texas Tech’s Meat
Judging Team that won the national championship in 1991. He also coached the university’s
1995 team that won three national contests.
Lessons in animal science and food technology
have served them well in their business. But, the
Butlers also credit some of their professors with
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10 ] Landmarks 2008
The Butlers moved to Stephenville in June
1999 and opened their business five months later
as a meat market that specialized in eight different custom sausages and beef jerky. They selected the city because of its close proximity to their
families and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, its good
schools and its small-town feel. Micah traveled
extensively to trade and gift shows and other
events to sell the beef jerky.
The next year the couple added a catering service, which soon accounted for more than 50 percent of their business. They eventually trimmed
back their meat market and sausage lines to focus
on what was more popular with their clients.
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The Butlers and their crew prepared breakfasts and dinners, and their specialties included
steaks, shrimp, fajitas, barbecue and even a Hawaiian luau. They served meals at local and regional events for four to 1,500 people.
In 2003, the catering business was becoming
so big that the couple had to cut back their show
visits. That same year, another Stephenville competitor offered to buy the Butlers’ catering business, and the couple accepted to concentrate
more on their jerky products.
“We thought that in the long run there was
more potential with the jerky. Catering pretty
much was a 100-mile radius deal, but the jerky
can be sold nationally – and even internationally,” Micah said.
B eefing Up the Troop s
Meet L acy & Micah Butler
Community Involvement: The Butlers are involved at Valley Grove Baptist Church and
in their daughter’s school activities. Micah
also is a member of the Evenings Lions Club
and served on the Board of Directors for the
Stephenville Chamber of Commerce. The
Butlers help sponsor fund-raising activities
for various community groups.
Hobbies: Micah and Lacy enjoy working
together, but their free-time activities are
very diverse. He is an avid hunter, raising
four bird dogs and traveling to South Africa, Alaska and other locales to hunt big
game. She enjoys buying the latest electronic gadgets, reading all genres of books
and attending book festivals.
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12 ] Landmarks 2008
As the Butlers were shifting business gears to
primarily their jerky products, they received a
phone call from a friend of a friend about a Colorado Beef Council project. The council was partnering with the USO on Operation BEEF UP our
Troops, a campaign to solicit donations to underwrite including 1-ounce portions of beef jerky in
care packages for soldiers serving overseas.
The council was looking for a company that
used 100 percent American beef to make jerky
and had been referred to the Butlers. They purchase the beef for their jerky from a local slaughterhouse that processes cattle raised in the area.
“A 20-minute phone conversation changed everything. We were mentally searching for what
to do with the business, and this call comes in,”
said Lacy.
They signed on for the USO campaign, supplying jerky at a bare minimum price. The campaign got into full swing in November 2004,
and the Butlers periodically receive additional
orders to supply jerky for the 20,000 to 30,000
care packages shipped to soldiers each month.
Beef jerky is the most requested item from soldiers, who sometimes send thank-you notes and
pictures from Iraq and Afghanistan to Butler’s
Smokehouse.
B uild ing a Winning
Reputation
In addition to making the Butlers feel good
about being able to support soldiers overseas,
Operation BEEF UP the Troops “put us on the
map in the jerky world,” Micah said.
They also gained national recognition
through awards at food competitions. In 2001,
Butler’s Smokehouse placed first in the Snack
Meat Division of the 2001 Texas Fiery Food
Show. Three years later, the sugar cured elk tender they process for a private label client, Texas
Elk Company, won an award at The International Fancy Food Show in New York City.
They continue to broaden their sales by contracting with more private label clients. These are
individuals who want to market their own varieties of jerky but do not have the necessary capital
to open and operate a USDA-inspected facility. To
minimize start-up costs, they contract with Butler’s Smokehouse for the production of the jerky.
Some private label clients have their own
jerky recipes, while others have the Butlers package their versions of jerky under the client’s own
custom label.
Business growth has been steady. In November 2006 the Butlers add an additional 1,500
square feet to their original 1,500-square-foot
building located in Stephenville. They also recently launched a line of specialty cheeses, including smoked cranberry cheddar, smoked
horseradish cheese and smoked hot pepper
cheese. The two developed their own recipes
and contracted the production with a Wisconsin
cheese company.
Keeping the family in
family business
Micah and Lacy work full-time at the business
as well as four to eight part-time employees, depending on the time of year.
“We’re here a lot more than 40 hours a week,”
said Micah.
But, running their own business means they
have the flexibility to spend time with their
daughter Katelynn, a third grader, and participate in her school activities.
Katelynn was born just before the Butlers
moved to Stephenville. For her first 18 months,
her parents cared for her during the day at the
business. They built a secure carpeted play area
within the building for her to crawl and play.
“Her first word was ‘jerky,’” Lacy said. “She
would watch me put jerky in the bags and one
day she said, ‘Jerky, jerky.’”
The youngest Butler already has a job at the
store: keeping well stocked the display board
showcasing the different jerky products.
Working together as a family never seemed to
be an extra challenge for the Butlers. For Micah
and Lacy, sharing a business is a recipe for both
personal and professional success.
“We’ve almost always worked together, and
that’s been a plus for us,” Micah said.
TIPS
FOR MAKING YOUR OWN
BEEF JERKY
The Butlers developed their
closely guarded jerky recipe over
the years. But, jerky involves a
basic process; the cook’s own mix
of spices and marinades
determines the final
unique outcome.
Micah’s advice for home cooks
wanting to make jerky:
• Select the best cuts of lean
meats.
• Keep the spices and marinades
simple.
• Use what you like – if a recipe
calls for an ingredient you have
an aversion to, then drop it.
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