
There’s no doubt about it – feeding a large family can be expensive. When U.S. Army Veteran Ryan Dennis and his family realized how much beef they were consuming each year, they knew they needed to get creative.
“We were going through two and a half cattle per year. We thought we should look at processing for ourselves to offset some of the costs,” said Ryan.
But the family quickly realized the tools and storage would be very expensive. That’s when Ryan’s dad found an ad for a local producer wanting to hire a butcher.
“I was doing various jobs and needed something more concrete,” Ryan said. “I decided to get into this and learn the trade while being able to provide more for my family.”
It wasn’t long before Ryan knew the skills and the owner of Tri County Lockers announced he’d be selling the business. Ryan talked it over with his family and they came to an agreement to lease the facility. A year later, Ryan was signing the paperwork to purchase the business, now Midwestern Meat Locker.
“I didn’t really expect to have this opportunity, but everything just fell into place,” Ryan said. "Funding was going to be a challenge, but somehow I was put in touch with Jerred at West River Foundation and in just a few short weeks, we had the agreement and funding in place. We took possession in December of 2021.”

Had Ryan not found the investment from West River Foundation, the operation would look quite different. Since taking ownership of the business, Ryan said they’ve expanded their operation to include many cuts of meat, from beef and bison to yak and lamb and more.
“We found it hard to find locally grown lamb. Most of it was coming from New Zealand and other places. It was important for us to have local options available for our community,” said Ryan.
Midwestern Meats restructured the operation to allow for more storage, making it easier for customers to handle the packaged meats. The business offers a variety of local cheeses, breads, and cuts of meat in their retail operation. They’ve transitioned from traditional plastic and paper wrapping to vacuum packaging, which greatly extends the shelf life of frozen meat.
Ryan credits his military service for getting where he is today.
“I got engaged when I was 17. That was in 2000. I realized very early on that I wasn’t going to be able to provide for a family while I was in college, so I joined the Army,” Ryan said. “I never thought I’d get deployed, but the events of 2001 changed that. I spent four years in the Army and deployed once to Kuwait. I’ve always had to be thinking ahead to make sure my family was cared for.”
When Ryan purchased the locker, he felt it was important to help other Veterans. Today, his staff includes Veterans from the Air Force, Army, Reserves, National Guard, and active duty. “They’re hard-working guys. I’m proud to have them working for us,” said Ryan.
Midwestern Meats received a $237,500 Intermediary Relending Program (IRP) Loan from West River Foundation in 2021 to purchase the business.