These days, keeping a business open in a small town is no easy task. Main Streets across the country seem to be lined with more ‘for sale’ signs than ‘open’ signs. So it is no small feat that the Clarion Locker, indeed located on Main Street, is not only surviving but thriving. And nothing says success more than the impressive hardware the business brought home from Iowa Meat Processors Association Convention last month.
Manie and Elmarie Nel, owners of the Clarion Locker, have been running the establishment since 2009. The couple, originally from South Africa, previously owned the locker in Ventura. After purchasing the Clarion Locker, which had been sitting empty for several years, the couple undertook two years of major renovations to get it back up and running. Elmarie explained that the building needed a lot of work, but they were excited to have the bigger space. Manie added that with the new digs, “We also could work on more smoking and curing, along with custom processing.”
Even with the potential of the new space in Clarion, the Nels were not content to rest on their laurels as they rolled out their Clarion operation. Elmarie said they took advantage of the relative proximity of Iowa State University to take some classes to expand their knowledge. ISU has a world-renown meat science program that people travel to learn at from across the globe.
With an expanded meat education under their belts, impressive equipment and staff, and a tip-top locker, the Nels have been taking off ever since. They have been collecting awards with their handmade meat products for the last decade. They have won various top awards at the Iowa State Fair for their homemade bratwurst. They have also taken home plaques from the Iowa Meat Processors Association Convention in the past, including for their cured ham and meat sticks.
However, this year was above and beyond their best at the convention, according to the Nels. They took home four major awards: Champion center cut smoked pork loin, champion flavored snack sticks, reserve champion restructured jerky, reserve champion meat snack sticks. Considering the stiff competition, these awards are notable. A press release from the organization stated that there were 290 meat entries from 28 processing plants across Iowa.
For locals, they cannot only stop by the locker to check out the winning plaques, but they can also purchase all the winning products. Indeed, the Nels didn’t develop a special recipe for the convention contest. Elmarie said they simply grabbed the packages out of their retail case and sent them to be judged. She adds that they have worked hard on all these recipes over the years. “When there’s down time during the year, we experiment and try new things,” she said. “We work really hard to make a quality product.”
The Nels also emphasize that they do not just show up at the convention for the awards. They are fully invested in the industry and are proud to further it both within the state and nationally. Manie is currently the vice president of the Iowa Meat Processors Association and will be the president next year. They are also excited that Iowa will be hosting the American Association of Meat Processors Convention and Exhibition in Des Moines this summer where their meats will compete against others from around the country.
The couple says that the awards keep them motivated and help them strive to continuously get better. “We just hope to keep improving and see our business grow,” emphasized Manie. And though they didn’t offer specifics, they also noted that there are exciting developments to come for the Clarion Locker.
In the meantime, the Nels invite everyone to come into the locker on South Main in Clarion and grab their award-winning products. They are ready to go for grilling season and have plenty of fun items for the barbecue.
