Live Better Beef, LLC

Proven Team

Brian Derksen

Operations

Jeff Smith

Engineering & Facilities

Jerry Blackerby

Capital Projects

Steve Polski

Strategy, Supply Chain, & Development

Bill Rupp

Former President,
Cargill & JBS Beef

 

What We Do

  • Advise on the development of business strategy & plan.
  • Advise on design, cost, & build of packing & processing facilities.
  • Advise on building cattle supply chain through alternative pricing mechanisms.
  • Advise on monetizing manure through slatted floor covered structures.
  • Advise on commercial & go-to-market strategies.
  • Advise on strategies to attract top meat industry talent.
  • Support on-going operations and commercial activities to ensure business potential is being realized.

 

Contact

For further inquiries, please contact our team.

steve@livebetterbeefllc.com

6634 West Monona Drive

Glendale, AZ 85308

 

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELASE:
Monday, January 23, 2023
Contact: Eric Woolson, 515.681.3967

ewoolson@theconceptworks.com

KARIS MAKES $150 MILLION INVESTMENT IN CATTLEMEN’S HERITAGE PLANT

Investment Enables Groundbreaking in 2023


DES MOINES, IOWA – Cattlemen’s Heritage Beef Company today announced that Karis Capital of Naples, Florida is investing $150 million in the company’s planned facility in Mills County, Iowa. The investment will allow Cattlemen’s Heritage to move forward with groundbreaking for the plant later this year.


“This $150 million strategic investment by Karis represents a critical milestone in the Cattlemen’s Heritage plant,” said Chad Tentinger, principal developer for the project. “With this investment secure, we can break ground later this year. We will also be able to finalize bank financing and government incentives for a project that will provide high-quality, sustainable beef for consumers and significant economic benefits for the state of Iowa and for cattle producers.”


According to Jake Finley, the Founder and CEO of Karis, the Cattlemen’s Heritage project represents a unique investment opportunity that combines our access to capital and development expertise to an industry in need of modernization. “We see extraordinary consumer demand for low-carbon, high-quality beef that’s produced in a sustainable way, and the Cattlemen’s Heritage project does just that,” Finley said. “It will have the latest in technology with a focus on sustainability along with the highest standards for plant employees and animal welfare. That’s exactly what investors and consumers are looking for.”



Economic Gain for Iowa and for Cattle Producers


In addition, the Cattlemen’s Heritage plant will represent an economic gain of $8 billion for the state of Iowa through construction and plant operations until 2028, according to analysis by Ernie Goss, the Jack A. MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics at Creighton University. Currently, Iowa farmers are transporting approximately one million head of cattle out of state each year, causing the state to miss significant opportunities for jobs, income, economic activity and tax revenues.


“Iowa pays a heavy price due to its insufficient number of beef-processing facilities. Those costs are borne by virtually everyone in the state of Iowa, directly or indirectly, but farmers and rural communities pay a heavy toll,” Goss said. “The addition of the planned Cattlemen’s Heritage facility in southwest Iowa means 400,000 head of cattle will remain in Iowa for harvesting and processing, generating an economic gain between now and 2028 of $8 billion.”


The Cattlemen’s Heritage project will also benefit cattle producers in Iowa and surrounding states by helping them capture more for the beef retail dollar through the company’s shackle space program, which closes in June.



Additional Investments and Partnerships


According to Tentinger, the Karis Capital investment paves the way for additional funding and partnerships. “Given the public interest and benefits associated with the project, we continue to work with federal, state and local government officials who have previously expressed support,” Tentinger said. “We also continue to explore retail and other partnerships. Look for more news on those developments in the weeks to come.”




About Cattlemen’s Heritage Beef Company: Cattlemen’s Heritage Beef Company will offer high-quality, sustainable beef with economic benefits for Iowa and family farm cattle producers. The project’s principal developer is Chad Tentinger, founder and owner of Ten Corp Inc. and an Iowa cattle producer.


About Karis: Karis is a private equity real estate company focused on industrial development. Karis has a unique focus on cold storage and food related industrial facilities while always looking to embrace a variety of development and investment approaches. The Karis team has decades of experience in real estate development, logistics, and construction excellence having developed for the largest companies in the world including the #1 e-commerce company.


Sustainable Beef

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