Quality Cut Meats

Meat Tumbler: Model 600 (Equivalent LT-30)

Industry: Meat Processor

Product Application: Hams, Bacon, Marinated Chicken

When Jennifer Hoeppner purchased Quality Cut Meats in 2006, the plant was processing meat the way they had always done it for twenty years; brining the hams in barrels and storing them in the cooler until they were ready to be smoked. For the first few years, she continued manually brining hams until a routine inspection led to an idea on how to improve the efficiency of the business.

By using a Lance Model 600 meat tumbler for her brining process, Jennifer was able to improve plant efficiency, product consistency, and overall profitability.

Manual brining was labor-intensive, space-consuming, and inefficient. Jennifer needed a solution to streamline her operations and improve product quality.

• Using a meat tumbler allowed for a more concentrated cure solution, reducing cooler space, and saving money.
• Tumbling the hams caused the proteins to bind together which improved the overall quality of the product during the smoking process.
• Using the tumbler for the curing process decreased the overall time and effort required to prepare the hams for smoking, which increased plant efficiency and production capacity.

A few years into owning the business, an inspector recommended using a meat tumbler during a standard inspection. He knew of another plant that was in the process of upgrading their tumbler and had a used one for sale.

Jennifer had never heard of a meat tumbler before, but trusted the inspector’s recommendation to buy the 22-year old Lance meat tumbler. The Model 600 was Lance Industries very first production meat tumble. While that model is no longer available, its capacity is similar to today’s LT-30, which has an improved frame and higher drum for easier access and cleaning.

As anyone in the meat processing industry knows, maintenance of machines is just part of the business. While there was some maintenance that needed to be performed on the Model 600, the customer service and support teams at Lance Industries were extremely helpful in getting Jennifer with her meat tumbler. “I am not worried at all about the age of the machine. All machines need maintenance from time to time. If I have an issue, I just call Randy at Lance and he will tell me exactly what to do,” Jennifer stated. “And if something needs to get fixed, he’ll send me the part or send someone out. I know Lance is going to take good care of me.”

The Lance meat tumbler significantly improved Jennifer’s manufacturing process, product quality, and operational efficiency. The exceptional customer service provided by Lance ensured long-term satisfaction and allowed Quality Cut Meats to continue using the Model 600 for the last 15 years.

Jennifer likes the Lance Meat Tumblers so much that she purchased an LT-5 (50 pound) tumbler to assist her with small batches of jerky and venison for custom orders.

Jennifer’s experience highlights the benefits of investing in reliable and well-supported machinery, and the positive impact the Lance meat tumbler has on her business operations. While the old, reliable Model 600 has worked extremely well for Jennifer for the past 15 years, she recently upgraded to an LT-60 which provides a 1,000 pound capacity in order to handle larger batches and continue improving plant efficiency.

For more information on how Lance meat tumblers can improve your meat processing operations, contact our sales team.