Happy Halal Meats is a unique family business that processes halal goat, lamb, and chicken in Willmar. Becky and Greg Wierschke started the company after discovering the need for locally processed goat and lamb through their other business, a mobile chicken butchering unit called Clean Chickens. Globally, Australia is the main exporter of goat meat, and the U.S. is its top customer.
“This journey has given us a unique perspective: People are people and they are hungry for change, whether it is ethnic consumers seeking hand-slaughtered meat to remind them of home or busy moms who care about where their food is sourced from to give their families the best,” Becky said.
The business received a $400,000 PROMISE Loan through Southwest Initiative Foundation. This support was the final piece needed to complete the $3.2+ million project. Cost overruns threatened to derail the project in its final weeks, with the funds coming at a critical time.
“It feels like, as a new operation developing in new markets, every day is touch and go. With the PROMISE Loan, it really was a godsend. We are extremely thankful to be here today,” Becky said.
Collaborating to support small businesses
Alongside PROMISE Loan financing from SWIF, additional funds came from Citizens Alliance Bank, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Farmers Union Foundation, and the USDA Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program.
Workforce support has also played an important role. Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services, Inc. (CMJTS) provided on-the-job training grants, and Ridgewater College students regularly step in as a reliable back-up crew when staffing gaps arise.
Technical assistance has also been key, Becky said. The Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in St. Cloud both provided advisory support.
“This is such a great demonstration of breaking down that silo effect, with agencies who were working on our behalf that aren’t the same level of government. You just do not find projects like that very often,” Becky said.
Location is everything
The facility opened last year and took about three years from conception to completion. Its compact layout is perfect for efficient processing of small meat animals, which can be a nuisance for regular butcher shops.
Today, Happy Halal Meats can process about 25 goats a day. The goal is to reach 100 with increased staff. Four full-time employees currently work at Happy Halal Meats, plus three part-time.
Willmar proved the perfect location with existing infrastructure to support meat processing as well as a community of Muslim residents who would be interested in their products. “Halal” describes food that is acceptable to eat based on Islamic faith traditions. For meat, that includes hand butchering and praying over each animal.
Wierschkes provide wholesale inventory to local supermarkets to maintain these fellow small businesses that connect the community. They also just launched an online retail store at happyhalalmeats.com that ships directly to consumers. A variety of cuts are available, including ground goat, though cubed meat has been the most popular.
“What we have over competition is friendliness, cleanliness, and modern packaging,” Greg said.
Truly a family business
Wierschkes’ three daughters have been working with them since they were young, starting out butchering chickens. This past summer, they began taking over Clean Chickens to give Greg and Becky time to invest in Happy Halal Meats.
“We just decided that’s how we’re going to raise our kids. They’re learning by our actions, not by our words. Each kid has a different skillset,” Greg said.
Charli is 27 and raises her own sheep and lambs on a farm near Blackduck. Ceilia, 19, is studying meat science and agricultural economics. And Corina, who is 18, is interested in corporate leadership.
Because of their success in the business, the Wierschke children were invited to Florida to teach a group about mobile chicken processing as a potential solution to food system needs in Africa. That led to a trip to Tanzania, which opened Greg’s eyes to possibilities for processing goats.
“That trip taught me so much more about the meat cutting,” Greg said. “It’s a learning process every single day. You look at a piece of the animal and think, what is that good for? Come to find out that’s the most valuable part.”
Leveraging resources for our region
Part of our role as a community foundation is to leverage outside dollars for investments in our region. One of the ways we do this is serving as an intermediary for government funding. The loan for Happy Halal Meats is a great example.
The financing was made possible by the MN PROMISE Act. This state-funded small business revitalization program has provided funding to businesses, nonprofit organizations, and developers in communities facing barriers to economic development. Our role as a partner organization helped PROMISE Act dollars reach businesses in Southwest Minnesota.