Happel’s Clean Cut Meats was founded by Fred and Mae Happel in the spring of 1961. It was started in a self built 18’ X 25’ cinder block building with a cooler and small freezer in the same building. Wild game processing started that fall. Later business demand required expansion so the building was added on to.

A Smoke House, Sausage Kitchen, & more freezer and cooler space were necessary. With the addition of locker beef and hogs, Happel’s soon became a full time custom processing meat plant. Hams, bacon, sausages, jerky and smoked fish all became part of the demand by our customers.

The successful business continued on through the 70’s and 80’s. In 1988, a fire destroyed one half of the plant but it was rebuilt in a more modern style. In 1989, son Lyle Happel took over as manager of the business (after a 10 year stint as a retail meat cutter/manager at Heeb’s Grocery Store).

As the demand for wild game processing increased, Happel’s slowly transitioned into a 95% wild game processing plant. More expansion by remodel and additions to existing buildings occurred during the 80’s and 90’s. This has created a total of 1000 square feet of cooler space and 1000 cubic feet of freezer space. New additions of modern equipment through the years have teamed with the Old Fashioned Meat Processing Methods to keep this purely family owned business a success.