A larger company, the Progressive Group of Companies of Niverville, recently bought another family-run meat processing firm, Pioneer Meat of Altona effective July 26th.
Founder Bernie Penner first began selling his homemade product door-to-door in 1968, eventually passing it on to the second generation. However, after 51 years, the oldest of the family and then president of the company Steve Penner said it’s time to focus more on family and less on business, noting the decision to sell wasn’t easy, but they believe it is the right one.
When the rumour hit the social media outlets, Steve tweeted this.
“Against the advice of my smarter, better-looking half, I feel the need to put this out there. We sold Pioneer Meat. For those that think Dad is rolling over in his grave, or that Mom is sad because of it, it is obvious you didn’t/don’t know them as well as you think you did/do.”
An ownership change is coming for the home of “the original farmer’s sausage.” Penner said. Then in a subsequent interview and family statement, “We are happy to say that mom is behind us 100 per cent and we know dad (Bernie who passed away in September 2017) would approve as well. Those two know better than anyone else of the challenges faced daily. We consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to be able to hand over the business while we still have both health and family.”
The Penner family said a collective public ‘thank you’ to everyone who has supported them over the years.
“We feel we’ve built a beautiful company and a wonderful brand, and are lucky enough to do it in a great community. We’ve enjoyed working alongside our employees, many of whom have become friends over the years.”
When deciding to let go, sell, and move, it is good to know the company will be in good hands. The family is very confident it has found a Manitoba company with a similar business style and ethics to take Pioneer Meat to the next level of growth which already took over another family-started and run business several years back, Winkler Meats when that founder, Harry Dyck passed on suddenly.
“It was getting tiresome and not just that part of it, just the whole thing of the business,” said Steve. “Like we’re so hands-on that it felt like we were just running from one fire to the other for several years already.”
Despite being a provincial meat processing plant not able to sell beyond the provincial boundaries, Pioneer Meet did about 750,000 pounds of sausage a year, strictly in the province of Manitoba.

“There is no day that I don’t recall it, no time, because Pioneer Meat is 51 years old. Therefore there is no time in my memory that I can recall Pioneer Meat not being a part of our family,” said Steve.
He did reflect on where they used to get their pigs for slaughter and how that continued to happen today.
“Well, lots of local producers. I mean it was weird 30 years ago there were lots of guys within a 10-mile radius where we got most of them from,” he said. “And we made a switch where we went to some of the bigger producers to get our animals.”
While not wanting to be quoted on this, it seems there are more independent barns than maybe several years back groups of five owners where farmers joined together and bought a pig barn.
They also received excellent support from the Hutterite colonies in the province, too.
Of the three sisters and four brothers in the family, three remained as owners of Pioneer Meat, Steve, Scott, and Ron Friesen, one sister’s husband.
When a family takes a business and runs with it for 51 years and the second generation is now in charge, maybe there comes a time what do they do for an encore. Why not let someone else take it to the next level if that is what needs to happen.
“I think so. Yeah. That’s what it looks like. I think the new owners have great plans for our brand. You know, like one of the biggest questions over the last week is, Boy, I sure hope they don’t change it. Well, why would they? Why would somebody, in my opinion, buy the best sausage that they can buy and change the recipe? Do you know what I mean,” said Steve.
When this reporter called to the plant, Steve answered the phone, a great example of just how hands-on the family was with the business and their 16 or so employees.
“That’s one of the biggest things when we had the new group coming in here was trying to explain how hands-on we are. I think that is what has endeared our employees to us,” he said.
“It’s always a floating number, but I think there are 16. But when you’re working, sweating beside a guy, it’s a lot easier for him to believe in the goal. Because we don’t just walk through with dress pants and shiny shoes on and tell him or her this is what we’re doing today and then walk away.”
In a statement of its own, the team at Progressive Group of Companies said it is excited to become a part of the community and is committed to growing the business locally.
Progressive purchased Winkler Meats back in 2009. •
— By Harry Siemens