Sliced for Success

Wilmington-based B&M Meats brings Philly flavor to the world, powered by people, pride, and persistence

BY DARREN BUSEMAN

PHILADELPHIA AND CHEESESTEAKS have been tied together for 95 years. Throughout the last 50 years, many sliced steak manufacturers have come and gone. Today, there are fewer than five manufacturers in the Philadelphia region, but you may be surprised to learn that the largest independently owned Philly steak manufacturing company in the country — and the world — is located and headquartered in Wilmington, Del., where it has been for more than 70 years.

From its original 8,000-squarefoot converted garage to today’s three separate regional facilities totaling more than 125,000 square feet, B&M Meats, Inc. has embraced change, culture, technology, talent, and dedication to become a national leader in raw sliced Philly steak manufacturing.

In just the past seven years, the company has grown from a modest, relatively unknown operation of 40 employees and two slice lines serving the immediate Mid-Atlantic area to more than 300 employees and 21 slice lines, serving customers in Japan, South Korea, Canada, Germany, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and more.

While much of the company’s growth has been achieved through several acquisitions and investments in buildings and equipment, the most critical component of that growth is the people who make up the organization and all its departments — those who approach each day as an opportunity to grow in areas such as sales, consistency, safety, satisfaction, and efficiency. These are the individuals who become leaders within the organization.

The entire team embraces change as part of its daily routine. And when no specific changes are happening, they are constantly assessing future threats and opportunities across our facilities, food safety, quality, labor, and strategic goals.

With all that said, we’ve also faced a tremendous number of challenges to our growth and success, dealing with the same headwinds most manufacturers encounter: labor, training, safety, immigration, economics, government policy, consolidation of competition, market volatility, inflation, tariffs, and more. While each challenge could be discussed in endless pages, labor is the current hot topic. Long before the current administration’s focus on immigration, and even before COVID, I heard from many plants that they could grow and expand if only they could find enough people willing to work five to six days a week in a meat plant. Perhaps in August it’s appealing, since it never warms above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but it can be challenging the other three seasons, and in many cases, it’s constant physical work.

At the height of the pandemic, it was quickly proven that our company is only as strong as our employees. Instead of standing in line with others’ traditional complaints, we decided to personalize our workforce and create an environment where everyone adopts and understands the core values and strategic direction of our family-owned organization. Being able to share that vision and to hear employees’ concerns may take time away from other traditional highpriority tasks, but it has created an environment that has significantly minimized labor concerns.

Success and growth are never easy, and there will be challenges in any industry. Manufacturing is no different. There are no work-from-home options, no extra holidays, and few modern luxuries, because you have to be there to make the product.

Automation has certainly helped improve consistency, safety, and sometimes profitability. But I remain convinced that people will always be the secret ingredient to success. Like any secret ingredient, people should be respected, nurtured, protected, and revered.

So when you eat your next cheesesteak at a local independent pizza shop, a national chain, or even as part of a frozen appetizer from the grocery store, there’s a good chance it was made in the First State with pride. We remain committed to continuous change and improvement so we can represent Delaware as a leader in the industry.

Darren Buseman is the general manager of B&M Meats by Wonder Meats.