Greensburg beef jerky business aiding troops, veterans

A Salem man who started a beef jerky business in California six years ago is competing for a slice of the $1.2 billion annual domestic meat jerky market.

Part of the mission of Air Force veteran Christopher Prascus’ Soldier Boy Beef Jerky is to give back to those who serve in the military and veterans.

“We donate our (beef) jerky to the troops who are serving ‘down range,’ ” meaning deployed, said Prascus, 40, founder and a CEO of Soldier Boy Beef Jerky.

One of those military members serving after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, was Prascus.

He grew up near Annapolis, Md., joined the Air Force on Sept. 11, 2000, and was at an Air Force base in Utah on Sept. 11, 2001.

He was deployed with the 421st Black Widow Fighter Squadron where he served in several operations, including Operation Enduring Freedom, which was launched in October 2001 to remove the Taliban from power in Afghanistan.

An armaments systems specialist for the F-16 Fighting Falcon, he served in places that included Qatar and Iraq.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Soldier Boy Beef Jerky products also goes toward providing financial support to causes that directly benefit the troops.

Among the causes the company supports is K9s for Warriors, a Ponte Verda, Fla.-based nonprofit organization for which Soldier Boy Beef Jerky has set a goal of raising $10,000 this year, said Matt Tamasy, 45, of North Huntingdon, the co-CEO of the company.

K9s for Warriors provides highly trained service dogs to military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma, according to the organization.

“We wanted to make sure we gave to a mission to save lives,” Prascus said.

“It saves the dog’s life, it saves the veteran’s life,” Prascus said of the connection with dogs.

They also sponsor a fundraiser with an initial goal of $10,000, Tamasy said. That initiative was launched in August, starting with a $1,000 donation, Prascus said. They have upped the goal for next year to $25,000.

The amount allocated to helping the deployed veterans is not based on a specific percentage of the proceeds but is based on a budget that depends upon the level of sales, Tamsay said.

Sales in the U.S. meat jerky market have experienced an annual growth of about 1% for every year since 2017 and shows no signs of cooling off, according to IBIS World, a New York City-based industrial research firm.

Soldier Boy has benefited from that strong market, experiencing growth that has doubled over the past year, Tamasy said. As owners of a privately held business, the partners declined to comment on sales figures.

“We’re growing at a nice clip,” Tamasy said.

Beach beginnings

Their business operates now out of a modest office in the rear of the Greensburg Shopping Center. Prascus started the business some six years ago while living in Huntingdon Beach, Calif., and working at a bar after serving in the Air Force for 4½ years.

During his deployments, Prascus recalled how much he enjoyed getting care packages from home that included some beef jerky.

In his spare time, he would make the beef jerky and sell it at the bar. Sailors who patronized the bar would buy the beef jerky and enjoyed it, Prascus said. A lieutenant liked the product, and Prascus said the officer helped make arrangements to sell it aboard the ship. It was his first account for the fledgling business.

He formed his company, CE Industries LLC, in Huntingdon Beach in 2017.

But operating from the West Coast became expensive. Prascus’ wife, Erin, is from the area, and they decided to move east just before the pandemic slammed the economy.

“I had to jump-start the company (in California), then restarted the company on the East Coast,” Prascus said. In October 2021, he incorporated CE Industries LLC, doing business as Soldier Boy Beef Jerky.

In moving to Western Pennsylvania, he also acquired a business partner in Tamasy, who previously worked for PPG Industries Inc. of Pittsburgh and a medical device company. Tamasy said he always wanted to be in business and saw this as a great opportunity. Tamasy and Erin Prascus had been friends in high school, thus the connection was made.

The move to Pennsylvania also meant searching for a new beef jerky processor, which they found near Gettysburg. The smokehouse operator produces private label products and uses only U.S.-bred beef, Prascus said.

For those who want to test the product, Soldier Boy has its jerky delivered from the processor and then sells it through the mail as well as at supermarkets, such as Shop ‘n Save and Giant Eagle, and convenience stores such as 7-Eleven and Country Fair.

They have learned the “rhythm” of the business — spring and fall are better for sales. Brand recognition is key to sales and marketing is critical, they say.

While the packages do not have a “manufacturer suggested retail price” printed on the container, Tamasy said supermarkets typically sell the 3-ounce packages for $8.99 and convenience stores sell it for $9.99. The half-pound bags sell for $19 and a 1-pound bag costs $40.

The beef jerky that the processor makes for Soldier Boy is tailored to their specifications, and they make four kinds — peppered jerky, original, maple and sweet heat, which is the best seller.

They have a secret recipe for ingredients that include salt, garlic, pepper, sunflower oil, honey, brown sugar, soybeans, vinegar and molasses.

While not unbiased in their opinion, Tamasy describes their jerky as “softer, more tender” than their more well-known competition.

“It’s not like chewing on a leather belt,” Prascus said.