STURGIS, S.D. – The West River Foundation for Economic & Community Development (WRFECD) recently closed its very first loan with the newly funded Meat & Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP) grant. Sturgis Meats, LLC was the recipient of the loan which helped fund an extensive equipment upgrade at the facility.
Sturgis Meats has been in operation for nearly 60 years processing beef, bison, pork, and now yak. The company created the famous Sturgis Beef Jerky secret recipe in its early days, and the brand has grown to include other flavors and a variety of products. With this expansion, jerky production will become more efficient to produce more product in a shorter amount of time.
The expansion will also benefit customers with the facility’s new capacity for direct-to-consumer product fulfillment. Increased cooling space will allow more capacity for product and the operation to offer this time and money savings to customers. “This expansion is going to be a big benefit to our customers due to this direct-to-consumer advantage that other shops can’t offer,” said Sturgis Meats owner Cindy Tolle.
In 2023, WRFECD received a grant from USDA-RD to create a new Meat and Poultry Revolving Loan Fund. The funds will be used specifically to increase the meat and poultry processing capacity in South Dakota. This loan to Sturgis Meats is the first such loan in western South Dakota.
WRFECD manages other revolving loan funds geared toward supporting new and expanding businesses in Western South Dakota. WRFECD is part of the West River Business Service Center in Rapid City. For more information head to www.wrbsc.com.
