Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) announced that a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development grant worth $249,660 has been awarded to the Mountain Steer Meat Company in Lewisburg.
The investment will be used to hire a head butcher, butcher assistant, administrative assistant, and meat shop assistant. A $27,740 borrower contribution will be included in the project, bringing the total investment to $277,400.
“I am thrilled to see Mountain Steer Meat Company receive this grant to create new jobs in our community,” said Congresswoman Miller. “By expanding their workforce, this small business can continue to supply quality, local meat throughout the community and ultimately reinvest in the regional economy. As a family-owned business located just outside of Lewisburg, Mountain Steer Meat Company prides itself on being local from beginning to end. They exemplify what it means to be a West Virginia operation and with this grant, they can expand and thrive.”
“Mountain Steer Meat Co. feels by supporting local farmers, our mission is to help West Virginia feed itself,” said James Tuckwiller, Co-Owner of Mountain Steer Meat Company. “We were discouraged to see our cattle shipped out of state just to be bought back on the grocery shelves. We have the product here, so we wanted to invest in our farmers instead. And thanks to the support from the USDA, we’re able to create local jobs in our communities simultaneously.”
“James and I are very invested in our area,” said Frank Ford, Co-Owner of Mountain Steer Meat Company. “This grant gave us the ability to fulfill one our main goals, employ people in our community and provide them with a career. Mountain Steer Meat Company was created to localize this industry as it was decades ago, from cattle to jobs. This state has done a lot for us, it is time we gave back to it.”
