_________________________________________________________________________________ Cardinal
Meat Specialists
BUILT protein
ON
Cardinal Meat Specialists expands reach, invests in teams, and reshapes how it connects with customers
The North American protein sector is at a crossroads. Price volatility, labor shortages, and evolving eating habits are reshaping how food moves from plant to plate. In this environment, processors must adapt while maintaining consistency and meeting the needs of both retail and foodservice customers. Ontario-based Cardinal Meat Specialists knows these pressures well, having built relationships across the supply chain over decades. Today, President and Owner Brent Cator leads a business that combines established practices with new ways to reach the market.
Brent works across strategy, customer relationships, and team alignment. His role centers on keeping the organization aligned as the business expands. Reflecting on the past year, Brent shares,“ I’ d say it’ s been a lot.” The changes he describes don’ t come from a single initiative; instead, they reflect a shift in how Cardinal approaches growth.
Market expansion
Cardinal has shifted from reactive to proactive, actively pursuing new business instead of waiting for customers to come to its doors.“ The biggest single thing is how we go to market. We have reorganized our teams and invested in sales operations to strengthen the customer experience, improve service execution, and identify new growth opportunities with existing and prospective clients,” Brent continues.
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