The former J&S Meat Processing Plant, most recently Franks Custom Meat Processing, is under new ownership once again.
As of Friday, December 6, 2024, Randy Bugher and his wife, Donna, of Rocking RD Cattle Co. Processing are the new owners.
“We are still open, but are making some changes,” explains Randy. “We are looking forward to bringing in new customers and growing the business.”
The Bughers, owners of several other types of businesses, became acquainted with the plant located on FM 833 just outside of Fairfield, when they began to utilize it for the processing of some of their custom recipes.
With plans to open a home cooking style restaurant in Blooming Grove, the couple began looking for a processing plant and found Franks to fill their needs.
“We make breakfast meats and pizza toppings, using all of our own recipes and seasonings,” says Randy. “I even have a recipe for Lukanka, a European breakfast sausage, that has been in the family for more than 100 years.”
He continues saying, “When Chancy (Frank) started talking about wanting to leave the processing business to concentrate on his ranching business, we began to discuss the sale.”
“Our biggest challenge has been the past reputation of the facility, from a few years ago,” Randy explains. “With all the cleaning, reorganizing, and maintenance repairs, we hope to be State Certified soon and to continue to operate a good, clean, working facility.”
One of the companies owned by the Bughers is an HVAC/Facilities Maintenance company, which made it easy for them to come in and do a major cleaning overhaul on the processing plant.
According to Randy, at the FM 833 location, they will continue to offer the famous beef jerky, summer sausage, and custom cuts, but they will no longer accept any wild game, ever.
In the process of ownership change, the company will be keeping four employees and hiring another four or more to complete their crew.
Their restaurant in Blooming Grove will be called Rocking RD Cattle Restaurant. It will offer a mix of home cooking, steaks, links, and catfish. Plans are to open by the first of the year. It will be located at 104 Fordyce Street in Blooming Grove.
They also have plans to open a store in Corsicana that will offer dry goods they produce from their own recipes. These include seasonings, fish fry mix, cornbread mix, natural salves, herbal teas, coffee, as well as their meats. Some of these products will also be offered at the meat processing plant in Fairfield. This store will be located at 1608 West 7th Street in Corsicana.
Randy grew up in Wyoming, is retired Military, and has been in Texas for the past 20 years, currently residing in Berry, Texas. He has extensive experience in ranching, facility maintenance, and business management.
Rocking RD Cattle Co. was established in 2020. In addition to all the already listed businesses, he also owns Rocking RD Construction, LLC and recently acquired a laundromat in Corsicana.
Randy and Donna look forward to meeting members of the Freestone County community and to helping with your meat and dry goods needs.
The processing plant is located at 180 FM 833 in Fairfield. They can be reached by calling 903-389-6169 or by email at rockingrdcattleco@yahoo.com. You can also find them on Facebook by searching Rocking RD Cattle Co Processing.
