Hill Meat Co. in Pendleton invests $18 million to expand business

PENDLETON — Information from Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency, shows manufacturing makes up the biggest slice of Northeastern Oregon’s economy.

Inside those numbers, food manufacturing claims a whopping 80%, followed by wood products at 11%. See the information online at shorturl.at/WjOQI.

Making food products that are distributed nationally and globally comprises the largest workforce in the region, with established brands such as Hill Meat Co., Business Oregon has reported.

The Pendleton-based premium meat company is set to take an even bigger bite when it completes an $18 million expansion that doubles the facility’s smokehouse capability by 30,000 square feet.

Last year, CEO Jim Cheney told the East Oregonian expanding the scale of the smokehouse gives the company the opportunity to add a curing department, a new pass-through oven, a couple more bacon lines and a dedicated room for the sausage stuffer.

The project is predicted to be done in early fall, Cheney said in April 2025.

Bacon really does bring home the bacon for this business established in 1947 by Sam Hill and that Cheney took ownership of in 1992.

“It’s our top product, and we have the different types of smoke,” Cheney recently said, listing pepper, applewood, cherrywood and hardwood.

That’s followed by several kinds of sausage, including smoked, chorizo and fresh.

Near and far

The products ship to the Far East and to some 4,000 grocery stores in 20 western states.

“We are probably the largest independent business in Eastern Oregon,” the CEO said.

Staying that way requires innovation, investment and “a really good management team,” Cheney explained, using “incredible” several times to describe the employees of Hill Meat, including his three daughters.

With the expansion comes new and state-of-the-art processing equipment totaling close to $30 million from Germany and Switzerland, two countries that know about producing cured meats.

Such growth demands up-to-the-minute packaging equipment, as well as the labels and graphics done in-house.

“We recognize people buy with their eyes so it has to look good. And we have to have efficiencies, so you need the latest in packing equipment,” Cheney said.

He leans hard on staying on the edge of new technology. The company’s newest smoke generators are made by Fessman, a German company.

The machinery ensures a smoky aroma and coloration for Hill Meat’s pork line. Each generator stands 8 feet wide and 10 feet long.

Cheney said representatives from Fessman flew from Germany a year and a half ago to Pendleton. Fessman imparted advice on the state of its equipment, which inspired Cheney and his family to purchase a state-of-the-art steam system and a new boiler for the new facility.

“Fessman is supposed to be one of the top in the industry,” Cheney said last year.

Meeting demand

These business decisions are based on the company’s healthy, comfortable and continuous growth that puts a million pounds of product a week into grocery stores and restaurants.

“We have to be able to supply our customer base as it grows,” he pointed out.

What’s not in Hill Meat products is equally important as what is.

“I’m pretty proud of what we do here, we are very concerned with producing a wholesome product. We don’t use any known allergens like soy extenders, milk or wheat flour,” Cheney said, noting those ingredients are usually used for types of meats that would not meet his company’s standards.

“And we have very stringent standards that are actually higher than the USDA’s … Our sanitation is impeccable. We have to have a dedicated, quality-assurance product,” he said.

Cheney passes his expectation of excellence and energy for achievement on to the staff.

There should be no question in the minds of the 150-something employees of the company’s commitment to future success, the CEO emphasized.

“It comes from the top. It’s my responsibility to make sure of that,” he said.

— East Oregonian reporter Yasser Marte contributed to this feature.