Glier's Meats

1954 & later: Glier's sells goetta and sausages wholesale to other meat shops and stores in Northern Kentucky. Slabs of goetta are wrapped in the traditional "orange" butcher paper and tied closed with strings. Other stores often sell Glier's goetta as their own "Home-made Goetta". 1961: The business is incorporated with the name, Glier's Meats Inc. Dan Glier (12 years old) starts working Saturdays and summers. 1961-1965: Glier's Goetta is sold in 1 pound retail packages over-wrapped and sealed in plastic shrink wrap but short shelf life is a problem. 1963: Glier's Meats Inc. becomes a Kentucky State Inspected meat processing plant. Unable to meet the demand for Glier's Goetta with the existing goetta kitchen (daily production about 525 lbs). Glier's remodels part of the basement of 439 Pike St and is able to over double production to about 1200 pounds per day. 1964: Bob Glier buys an old dairy building and opens a second "Goetta Factory" on Gordon St. in Cincinnati, Oh. He begins goetta distribution in Ohio under State Inspection. Stands like Russ Gibbs in the Findlay Market begin to sample and sell Glier's Goetta. Mid 1960's: UDSA begins to recognize and develop standards of identity for locally produced meat products. USDA interviews Bob Glier on his goetta recipe and uses it in developing their standards for the product. 1965: Bob Glier works with TeePac (a large national packaging company) on developing a double wound saran package. This package could be printed on the middle layer, could be filled with hot product, (thus insuring greater food safety and longer shelf life) and still shrink and remain tight when the product cooled, the perfect package for his goetta. Production of Glier's Goetta in the now familiar Chub-Pac or roll is begun. 1966: With the much improved product safety and longer shelf life provided by the new packaging, year-round Goetta production is begun. Slab goetta packaging takes a step forward and now uses a custom made, preprinted, glassine lined paper bag. 1966-1967: Recognizing the need for more uniform regulations and improved meat safety, the meat industry (lead by the American Meat Institute), USDA and Congress work together to pass the 1967 Wholesome Meat Act. This leads to major changes in the industry and inspection program especially the requirement that state inspection is to be "equal to" Federal (USDA) inspection. 1966: Realizing the difficulty in maintaining and operating two separate production plants in two states, Bob Glier looks to consolidate operations in one much larger facility. By early 1967 he has purchased the Hannakin Dairy/Bavarian Brewery building located at 533 W. 11th St. in Covington, Ky. 1967: Remodeling is begun with the intention of remaining state inspected but with the anticipated passage of the 1967 Wholesome Meat Act the decision is made to upgrade the facilities to meet the much more rigorous requirements of USDA inspection. New drawings are prepared for the plant and after working with the local USDA office an emergency trip to USDA Headquarters in Washington, DC is made to have the final plans approved. The changes required to meet the new USDA specifications result in an over doubling the remodeling project's cost. Spring 1968: Production and wholesale distribution is moved to the new plant, the retail store on Pike St. remains open. The new plant has a room dedicated to goetta production. Operating at full capacity, Glier's can now produce 2100 pounds a day. On August 6, 1968, Glier's Meats Inc. becomes USDA Inspected Establishment 2139. 1969: After over three-quarters of a century of operation but now unable to meet the requirements of the Wholesome Meat Act, Bob's brother, Bill Glier, decides to close Yung & Company. The two companies are merged under the Glier's Meats Inc. name. Long-term employees Willie Frietch, Dan Schoultheis and Jim Leopold come from Yung's to Glier's. 1970: After nearly a quarter century, Glier's closes the Pike St. retail store. 1972: Dan Glier graduates from Eastern Kentucky Univ. and joins his father, Bob, in the business. He is assigned to different departments to "learn the business". Dan is sent to the Frick Refrigeration School in Pennsylvania, attends a class on Modern Sausage Production and Evaluation put on by the Meat Science Lab at the Univ. of Kentucky and attends several seminars/classes held by The American Meat Institute. Glier's Meats becomes a founding member of the Kentucky Meat Processors Association. York Varney, a meat science professor at UK is the Executive Secretary. 1974: Bob and Dan Glier develop a 5 year plan in which Dan is to be mentored in all facets of the business with the intention of being able to take over the day-to-day operations by the end of the decade. 1976-1977: Bob Glier becomes too ill to direct daily operations. Dan Glier steps in and with the Bob's coaching and the help of many dedicated and long term employees is able to continue operations. Dan Glier is named President.