What started as a small family operation behind a Dubois County home has grown into one of southern Indiana’s well-known meat processing businesses, built on decades of hard work, adaptability, and a commitment to treating customers right.
Sander Processing and Family Meat Market was founded in 1988 by Jim and Margaret Sander. In the early days, the operation was modest by any standard. Livestock was slaughtered in the field, and meat was processed in a small building behind the family’s home.
Kent Sander, now one of three brothers who own and operate the business, said his parents were no strangers to challenges when they started. Jim Sander had previous experience owning a processing facility with his brother, but that venture eventually went bankrupt.
“They had to start over,” Kent said. “This was their fresh start.”
That fresh start was driven by a clear need in the community: local, custom meat processing. When Sander Processing opened, it employed just six full-time workers at one location. Today, the business has grown to approximately 90 employees across two facilities—one in St. Anthony and another in Celestine.
The St. Anthony location is a CIS-inspected slaughter and processing facility with a retail meat market, while the Celestine plant focuses on custom processing and includes a small retail store. Together, the two locations process significant weekly volumes. In St. Anthony alone, the company processes about 60 cattle and 110 hogs per week, while the Celestine facility handles approximately 60 cattle and 60 hogs weekly.
Despite the growth, the business remains deeply family-oriented. Kent and his two brothers are involved in day-to-day operations, and their father Jim, though retired, still plays a role—hauling cattle a few days a week and even ordering food for employee meals.
“He stays involved at his own pace,” Kent said.
Adapting to Change
One of the most pivotal shifts in the company’s history came with changes in technology and customer expectations. Around 2010, Sander Processing began investing heavily in new equipment, including rollstock machines and stuffers, to improve efficiency and meet modern demands.
Kent noted that customers were moving away from freezer paper, especially farmers who sell meat directly to consumers through farmers markets and on-farm sales. In response, the company made a significant move in 2012, transitioning all custom processing to vacuum packaging.
“That was a big change for us,” he said.
Those investments paid off. Today, Sander Processing handles processing for roughly 40 private-label brands and provides slaughter and processing services for Fischer Farms Natural Foods which further processes products in a neighboring facility.
Technology has also changed the physical demands of the job. New machinery has reduced the need for heavy lifting, allowing the company to broaden its hiring pool and create a safer, more accessible workplace.
Values That Haven’t Changed
While equipment and processes have evolved, Kent said the core values established by his parents remain firmly in place.
“Hard work, treating the customer right—even if the customer isn’t always right—and being nice to everyone,” he said. “Listen to the customer, and if you mess up, fix it the best you can.”
Those values help explain why customers regularly travel one to two hours to shop at Sander Processing. Kent said the combination of price, quality, and friendly service sets them apart.
“People know they’re getting good quality at a fair price,” he said.
Supporting Farmers and Community
Supporting local farmers is a central part of the business, particularly through its custom processing operations. Kent shared an example from 2020, when hog prices dropped sharply. Rather than lowering the price paid to a hog farmer who supplies about 100 hogs per week, Sander Processing held the price steady.
“If the farmer struggles, we struggle too,” Kent said.
The company also gives back through donations of hamburger to local fire departments and schools for fundraising events, reinforcing its ties to the community.
Industry Challenges and Leadership
Like many meat processors, Sander Processing faces ongoing challenges, including price fluctuations, supply chain uncertainty, and regulatory changes. Kent emphasized the importance of strong industry representation, particularly at the federal level through the American Association of Meat Processors (AAMP).
He is also a strong advocate for the Indiana Meat Packers and Processors Association (IMPPA), where he has served as president in the past. Kent credits IMPPA with helping the business grow through networking, shared knowledge, and access to reliable suppliers.
He recalled struggling to produce a quality boneless ham until advice from another IMPPA member helped identify a simple mistake.
“That’s the value of the association,” he said. “Other members helped us fix it.”
Looking Ahead
Looking to the future, Kent said major changes are unlikely in the next five to ten years. With the owners’ children still young, any significant shifts will likely come from the next generation.
“We don’t have plans to expand under the current ownership,” he said.
For now, the focus remains on maintaining quality, serving customers well, and passing on the knowledge of the business by example—just as Jim and Margaret Sander once did.
When asked what he hopes customers continue to associate with the Sander name, Kent’s answer was simple: quality and customer service.
And if the business could be summed up in one sentence?
“Quality food at a good price.”