Meet Don Rea | Owner/Found

We had the good fortune of connecting with Don Rea and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Don, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When Don retired, he and his wife would go to the grocery store – she would go pick up all groceries and he would go to the meat counter. He found that there was often limited industry information given to customers and that Fort Worth was in need of a premium butcher shop that offered high quality prime & premium choice proteins as well as a team that could educate the customers on where they were sourced as well as what goes into making prime products. When discussing this with a group of other industry powerhouses, the 4 of them came together to create The Meat Board.

The Meat Board is an award-winning specialty butcher shop located in Fort Worth, TX, led by two partners with over a combined 100 years experience in the meat industry.

Never compromising on the experience of taste, producing the highest quality meat for our customers is our foremost priority at The Meat Board. While our loyal customer base continues to grow at home in Fort Worth, it has always been our vision to extend our offering of carefully cut delicious meats nationwide. Accept our invitation to experience the luxury of The Meat Board in the comfort of your own home via our mail-order service.

Bringing people together is part of what we do, so whether it’s a date night at home, a get-together with the whole family, or perhaps the perfect gift for the meat lover in your life, “our four premium crafted box selections are the perfect arrangement to bring joy to your loved ones around the table.”

What should our readers know about your business?
Don Rea, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, has more than 40 years of leadership experience in the food industry. He has held a variety of positions from entry-level to upper management in all
facets of the meat industry from slaughter to further processing. Later in his career he became
owner and partner of several companies.

After graduating from Texas A&M with a degree in Animal Science in 1970, Don began his
career at Uvalde Provision Company, a small independent meat packer, and was exposed to all
facets of the business from slaughter to sales. Don then spent nine years with Safeway Store,
Inc. and learned the retail side of the meat business. He held a broad range of management
positions including purchasing and industrial engineering, and was promoted to general
manager where he was responsible for running the largest meat prefabricated warehouse in the
Safeway system.

Next, Rea worked for eight years at Texas Meat Purveyors, a new processing facility supplying
hotels, restaurants, and institutions with portioned meat, pork and poultry. As vice president and
general manager, he was instrumental in growing total sales of this start up meat processing
company to $40 million. In 1988, Don became vice president of sales and marketing for Quality
Sausage, a manufacturer of cooked meats toppings and pepperoni, and had a significant impact
on profitability and growth as revenue increased from $10 million to $50 million in four years.
Don’s unique approach to building business was reflected in his work as president of KPR
Foods, L.P., president and CEO of Foodbrands Foodservice Company, and later as group vice
president of Tyson Prepared Foods, where he spent 12 years building relationships and
delivering impressive bottom-line results with total sales of $1.6 billion. In 2005, Don joined an
existing partnership with CTI Foods, a cooked meats and manufacturing company, and he
served on the board of directors until his retirement in 2011.

Don’s experience within the meat industry allows him to bring valuable knowledge to The Meat
Board team. His expertise is a valuable resource for The Meat Board team and its patrons. Like previously stated, bringing people together is part of what we do, so whether it’s a date night at home, a get-together with the whole family, or perhaps the perfect gift for the meat lover in your life, “our four premium crafted box selections are the perfect arrangement to bring joy to your loved ones around the table.”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Stockyards – day time shopping and night time rodeo, drinks, music and dancing Fort Worth Zoo
Clear Fork – shopping and eating
Grace
Any Bonnell’s restaurant

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Our customers & team members that have poured so much into our small business.

Website: www.themeatboard.com

Instagram: @themeatboard.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-meat-board/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themeatboard

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-meat-board-fort-worth-2?osq=The+Meat+Boaard