Stampede: The Values, The Force, The Family
Stampede’s Team does not stand at the forefront of industry innovation; they tread the way. The team has navigated the ever-changing competitive environment, that they have operated in as a protein solutions company for the last 25 years. Stampede was established in 1995 in the Stockyards of Chicago Illinois, founded with the mindset of offering innovate solutions to customers seeking protein development in the restaurant, retail, and food distribution industries.
Focusing heavily on customer satisfaction under current leadership of President and CEO Brock Furlong, Stampede’s Team lives by the company values set before them: Perform Passionately, Challenge Directly & Respectfully, Commitment to Teamwork, Embrace Innovation, and Improve Daily.
In recent years, Stampede has expanded their reach beyond their home in Chicagoland by opening a facility in Sunland Park, New Mexico. Stampede’s Team is comprised of a workforce operating across four state of the art facilities; each facility prides themselves on not only complying to, but exceeding USDA Food Safety Standards.
Brock Furlong and Krys Harbut, Vice President of Production designed and implemented Stampede’s Butcher Certification Program. The Butcher Certification program was designed to encourage production staff to hone their craft. An individual who earns this certificate has displayed a deeper understanding of meat fundamentals and cutting techniques, as well as an appreciation for food safety standards set by the United States Department of Agriculture.
“Stampede’s Butcher Certification Program was designed with the idea of increasing employee satisfaction and pride in the work they are doing.
We strive to empower our employees with the knowledge they need to exceed our customer’s expectations. Our Goal at Stampede is that each and every one of our employees knows how valuable they are to our system; the contribution they make has an impact larger than they know.” – Krys Harbut, Vice President of Production
For most of their 25 years competing in protein solutions, Stampede has focused on traditional value-added protein. However, as customer expectations and demand have shifted to non-traditional sources of protein, Stampede’s Research and Development team has begun to develop plant-based value-added alternatives. The ability and readiness of the Stampede team to adapt to the needs of their customers is how they have been able to successfully partner with leading restaurants, top retailers, club stores, leading food service distributors, cruise lines, casinos, and various home delivery channels. Along with keeping their core company value towards customer service, the Stampede team works to build interpersonal with their peers through Stampede Cares activities.
Stampede Cares is a program that was created to enrich the lives of the communities surrounding Stampede’s facilities and workforce. Targeting solutions to end hunger and domestic violence, Stampede partners with local and national organizations. Employees are encouraged to participate in monthly activities by volunteering their time or through monetary donations. Stampede matches 100% of the monetary donations given by their employees. The Stampede Cares event with the most employee participation is the Annual Stampede Company Picnic. This is an annual lunch-in hosted by the Stampede Leadership Team. Activities are available in a pay-to-play fashion where all the proceeds are donated to a local charity partner. Stampede does not stop their charitable act there, during the global chaos caused by COVID-19, Stampede partnered with Chef Inside Cares to provide meals to front line workers.
Stampede stands apart from their competitors as they are much more than a team, as described by Brock Furlong: “We are a family. We spend eight plus hours together day in and day out. As a family, we do what we can to help each other succeed. Whether that be checking in on someone who is out sick or stepping into a role that is not specifically yours. Ultimately regardless of who you are and what you do, our goal at Stampede is Customer Satisfaction.” If you tour any one of the Stampede facilities you will surely be greeted with warm, welcoming smiles. Brock continued to say, “Our team is always excited and ready to help customers stay in the loop about their product, the production process, and available to answer any of our customer’s questions. To keep customers involved with their production processes during times that they may be unable to physically visit Stampede, we have started to host virtual product cuttings and production runs.”