Grass-fed and organic beef packer closes in Oregon

Bartels Packing, a processor of grass-fed and organic beef in Eugene, Ore., has closed its doors, putting more than 130 employees out of work. he result of this abrupt decision is that 139 employees and their families are without jobs and benefits and this reality is very heartbreaking for us, as we owe our success to these hardworking employees whose work ethic, skill set and commitment brought us the growth and success we’ve experienced the past 18 years. We will be forever grateful for their contribution. Over the past 3 years, we have had 3 unsolicited buyers interested in purchasing our business. With health issues to deal with and neither of us getting any younger; succession planning was an important goal for us that would allow the business to carry on. Just this past week; the most recent buyer withdrew and we could no longer financially sustain the working capital necessary to keep operating. With the current economic volatility of the meat industry and many retailers competing with ‘front door delivery’ in a world of convenience, as our customers began to struggle, we too began to lose our footing.