B

Branding Iron Holdings

Holding company for meat processing firms

Human Resources Manager

Full-Time
$70k - $100k/yr+ Annual incentive program
Senior
Bachelor's
Rochester, MN, USA
In Person
People & HRHR Generalist & Employee Relations

About the job

Requirements
  • Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
  • Minimum of five years of progressive, broad-based HR experience, including substantial employee relations responsibility in a manufacturing, distribution, food production, or similarly fast-paced environment.
  • Demonstrated experience advising plant or operations leaders and independently managing complex employee relations issues and workplace investigations.
  • Working knowledge of federal and state employment laws and practical experience applying HR policies, wage and hour requirements, leave practices, accommodations, and recordkeeping standards.
  • Ability to balance employee advocacy, business needs, and corporate standards while exercising sound judgment and maintaining confidentiality.
  • Ability to manage competing priorities, respond to urgent plant needs, and work effectively in a visible, hands-on role within a fast-paced environment.
  • Proficiency with HRIS platforms, HR reporting and analytics, and Microsoft Office applications.
Responsibilities
  • Serve as the on-site HR leader and trusted advisor to the Plant Manager, managers, supervisors, and employees across all shifts.
  • Develop and execute the plant people strategy in support of safety, quality, productivity, and talent objectives.
  • Lead day-to-day HR operations for the facility, ensuring consistent, timely, and practical support for a fast-paced manufacturing workforce.
  • Coach plant leaders on employee relations, performance management, attendance, corrective action, policy interpretation, organizational effectiveness, and leadership development.
  • Manage and resolve complex employee relations matters; conduct prompt, thorough, and objective workplace investigations and recommend appropriate action.
  • Lead workforce planning, hourly and salaried recruiting, onboarding, and retention strategies to maintain appropriate staffing levels and reduce turnover.
  • Drive employee engagement through regular floor presence, employee listening, recognition efforts, surveys, focus groups, and timely follow-up on workforce concerns.
  • Support effective labor relations and maintain constructive employee relationships; administer applicable labor agreements and grievance processes where relevant.
  • Use HR metrics—including turnover, absenteeism, vacancies, overtime, and employee relations trends—to identify risks, recommend solutions, and measure results.
  • Partner with Environmental, Health, and Safety and plant leadership to reinforce a strong safety culture, support incident response, and coordinate return-to-work and workplace accommodation processes.
  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, company policies, recordkeeping requirements, and applicable manufacturing or customer standards.
  • Oversee plant implementation of HR policies, programs, and processes, including performance reviews, compensation actions, benefits support, leave administration, and payroll coordination with centralized teams.
  • Maintain accurate employee records and HRIS data, prepare recurring workforce reports, and support internal and external audits.
  • Lead or contribute to plant change initiatives, organizational design, communications, and continuous improvement efforts that affect employees.
  • Collaborate with corporate HR and HR leaders at other locations to share best practices, ensure consistency, and improve enterprise HR programs.
Desired Qualifications
  • SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification.

About the company

B

Branding Iron Holdings

View

Branding Iron Holdings is a family-owned holding company that owns and runs meat manufacturers Holten Meat Inc., Rochester Meat Company, and Huisken Meat Company. How its product works: through these subsidiaries, it produces a range of meat products with a focus on consistent quality and strict quality control, backed by a history of manufacturing since 1960. How it’s different from competitors: it combines multi-brand meat manufacturing under one family-owned umbrella, with a long-standing track record, a customer-centered approach, and a stated emphasis on quality control and product consistency. Its goal: deliver reliable, high-quality meat products to customers while supporting the growth and stability of its subsidiary brands.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Sauget, Illinois

Founded

1940

Get referred to Branding Iron Holdings

See people who can refer or advise you

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Kingswood and Platinum funded the acquisition, giving Branding Iron fresh capital and support.
  • The company expanded under new ownership in 2024, signaling continued investment and growth.
  • Existing coast-to-coast capacity and diverse formats support cross-channel sales in 2025.

What critics are saying

  • BrucePac's October 2024 Listeria recall hit Branding Iron products and damaged customer trust.
  • Private-equity ownership demands faster margins, forcing plant optimization and pricing discipline in 2025.
  • A major food-safety incident or customer loss could cripple contracts and threaten the company.

What makes Branding Iron Holdings unique

  • Kingswood bought Branding Iron in November 2024 for protein-focused operational improvement.
  • Branding Iron sells branded and private-label beef and pork across foodservice, retail, chains.
  • It runs three USDA-certified facilities in Sauget, Rochester, and Sauk Rapids.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • 401(k) Retirement Plan
  • 401(k) Company Match
  • Paid Vacation
  • Performance Bonus

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

9%

1 year growth

9%

2 year growth

13%
PR Newswire
Dec 2nd, 2024
Branding Iron Acquired with Platinum Financing

Platinum Equity's credit team provided financing for Branding Iron Holdings in connection with Kingswood Capital Management's acquisition of the company. The financing supports Branding Iron's long-term goals. Platinum Equity, experienced in food-related businesses, aims to partner with companies benefiting from their financial and operational resources. Configure Partners advised Branding Iron on the financing.

Business Wire
Nov 16th, 2024
Kingswood Capital Management Acquires Branding Iron Holdings, a Leading Protein Provider

Kingswood Capital Management, LP (together with its affiliates, “Kingswood”) announced today that it has acquired Branding Iron Holdings (“Branding Ir