Empirical Foods

Empirical Foods

Meat processing, lean ground beef producer

Overview

Empirical Foods processes beef to produce lean ground beef and other protein products for food service and retail. It uses an in-house proprietary process that warms beef trimmings, centrifuges fat, and treats the product to kill bacteria to yield about 95% lean ground beef. They also offer boxed beef and pork, portioned steaks and roasts, and fully cooked seasoned items under brands like Noble Valley, Two Rivers Meat Co, and Dos Rios Taco Meat. They differentiate themselves by owning the technology to turn by-products into high-value protein and serving large packers, ground beef producers, fast-food chains, and grocers, with capacity expansion including a new plant in Garden City, Kansas.

About Empirical Foods

Simplify's Rating
Why Empirical Foods is rated
B-
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Food & Agriculture

Industrial & Manufacturing

Consumer Goods

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Dakota Dunes, South Dakota

Founded

N/A

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Garden City opened April 8, 2026, adding more than 250 jobs and new volume.
  • Record-high beef prices strengthen Empirical’s pitch for cheaper lean ground beef.
  • Phase II at Garden City targets 80 million pounds annually if demand supports it.

What critics are saying

  • USDA forecast tighter calf supplies in late 2026 squeeze Empirical’s input volumes.
  • Ground beef remains haunted by pink slime stigma, threatening restaurant and retail demand.
  • A major food-safety incident at Dakota Dunes or Garden City would devastate the brand.

What makes Empirical Foods unique

  • Garden City’s 280,000-square-foot plant doubled lean ground beef capacity in 2026.
  • Empirical’s proprietary centrifuge process extracts 95% lean beef from trimmings, not cattle expansion.
  • Forty-five years of technology claim 21 extra pounds of beef per head.

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Benefits

Flexible Work Hours

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