Knockout Butchery breaks ground in Upstate SC
July 30, 2024
Commissioner Hugh Weathers and other officials joined farmers Travis and Misty Howard in breaking ground yesterday on a new beef processing facility that will expand opportunities for South Carolina farmers and address the demand for local beef.
The Howards are building the new Knockout Butchery facility off Walnut Grove Road near Roebuck, South Carolina, in Spartanburg County.
The facility will support between seven and 10 new jobs and will have the capacity to process up to 35 head of cattle per week.
The Howards, who already operate a facility in Pauline, say the new facility will quadruple their processing capacity. After the new facility opens, they plan to convert their existing facility to process pork and poultry.
In addition to beef cuts, Knockout will offer custom smoked products like summer sausage, snack sticks, and jerky. The Howards intend for the new plant to be a USDA-inspected facility, which mean products made there could be sold to both in-state and out-of-state customers.
“This facility is being built by farmers, for farmers,” Travis Howard said. “Our customer base has stood behind us for the past seven years and that gave us the strength and trust to go forward with all of this.”
The Howards’ $2.6 million investment is supported by a $600,000 grant from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA). The new Knockout Butchery facility is one of seven beef processing projects receiving funding as part of a round of $3.4 million in grants announced in March 2023.
“More than 700 farmers in South Carolina raise beef, and the Knockout project will allow more of them to raise their animals to maturity and have them processed in the state, thus keeping more dollars in our economy,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers. “Travis and Misty are carving a bright future for agribusiness in South Carolina.”
A 2022 economic impact study commissioned by SCDA found that there is significant unmet demand for local agricultural products in South Carolina. COVID-era supply chain disruptions also highlighted the need to decentralize meat processing. Expanding small processing in South Carolina will create more opportunities for small, in-state facilities to serve the state’s farmers and consumers.
The Howards are looking to the future, too. The new Knockout Butchery facility will incorporate a storefront as well as a venue for butchery and agriculture education.
“Our goal is to keep the younger population interested in where their food comes from, and in farming and agriculture in general,” Misty Howard said. “We’re very excited for what the future holds for us, as well as the hard work we’re willing to put in to give the best service to our farmers and our customers.”
