Interview done by Michael Wilkerson
MW: Please introduce yourself?
JN: Hi, I’m Jim Norsworthy, sales manager for Longview Jerky. It’s formal name, Longview Meat and Merchandise Ltd, is owned by Pete Lawson. My history IS the food business, some call me a foodie. I’ve spent more than ½ my life in food, not only Jerky sales but in many other capacities of the food chain. Pete is the real passionate Jerky lover, having a variety of careers, he settled into the highest job possible; President of Longview Jerky about 17 years ago. Here is a quote from the main man; ”Since 1994 my passion has grown, from that tantalizing first bite of ORIGINAL LONGVIEW BEEF JERKY to producing a complete line of quality meat snacks. You will enjoy every item produced by our qualified professional team, I personally guarantee it”.
MW: When did Longview Beef Jerky start?
JN: The village of Longview is situated along the COWBOY TRAIL that runs through some of the best grazing land anywhere. The Longview Jerky Shop began selling Jerky over 35 years ago, and Longview became well known for producing some of the best Jerky around. Ask anyone what the village of Longview is best known for and they’ll probably say; Does white water rafting, canoeing, cycling or horseback riding excite you? How about the thrill of catching your first or biggest fish or landing that trophy animal? Have you experienced some of the most scenic terrain in our province on a snowmobile or on skis? Have you ever savored the tranquility of camping, birdwatching, photography or painting that perfect picture? Even a relaxing country drive will make you feel one with nature. With all that is happening in and around Longview, you can’t help but experience something new and different each and every time you visit. Oh yea, great tasting Jerky too. “The Original Longview Jerky is the best!”
MW: What are the different items you sale?
JN: We sell “The Original Jerky” all across Canada, and also have Roni Stix (pepperoni sticks) and Bavarians (European Sausages) The Jerky comes in 8 flavour varieties, Original, Teriyaki, Pepper, Canadian Maple, Sweet Chili, Honey and Garlic, Buffalo and Smoked Hickory. Roni Stix are in Original, Honey Garlic, Hot and Buffalo Pork. Bavarians we have Hungarian, Milano and Hot. (our website describes the flavours and everyone has a favorite, I like ‘em all)
MW: What is the type of jerky everyone wants?
JN: We pride ourselves with CANADIAN MEAT and feel everyone wants CANADIAN JERKY made from 100% Canadian meat. We do understand how some manufacturers buy meat from countries that offer the best price, but we won’t. Our quality assurance is a top concern to all of us here at Longview. We only use 100% Federally inspected Canadian meat, and only use the eye of round and inside round and slice it into thin beefsteak strips. Other companies use meat from Argentina or Brazil and both environmentally from a shipping standpoint, and some of the cattle raising standards are not the same as what the Canadian Federal Inspection Agency’s are so we’ll stay with Canadian meat. Your question was TYPE – Ours is cry-o-vac so no air dries out our Jerky. Ours is moist, and packed full of flavour, not dried out and tough to chew.
MW: What new flavors of jerky do you plan to add?
JN: Our development team is constantly testing new flavours, and we test marketed a BLERKY (Blueberry Flavoured Beef Jerky). It is a wonderful product, very healthy as Blueberries have anti-oxidants and it was high in Vitamin C, but unfortunately the target market (those under the age of majority) did not consume enough so we re-invented the HEALTHY JERKY and came up with a great tasting Smoked Hickory with 50% less sodium than our Original flavour variety. Just launched 2 weeks ago, and we are getting raving reviews.
MW: Where can the readers buy your jerky?
JN: Any retailer in Canada can sell Longview Jerky. We have it in a lot of different stores, from small gas stations to major conventional grocers, and convenience stores across Canada. If your readers cannot find it in a retailer near them, they can as their store manager to order some in, or can order it on-line at http://www.longviewjerky.com provided they have a Canadian address for us to ship it to. We currently do not export Longview Jerky outside Canada.
MW: What would you like to say in closing?
JN: Longview Jerky and meat snacks are shelf stable and carry a good long shelf life, so anyone ordering can be assured they will get some great tasting CANADIAN meat that will last for months if they can resist eating it all the first few days it arrives. The Jerky is our #1 selling item, but we get so many good reviews on the Roni and Bavarians, anyone ordering Jerky should include a few of those items too. We also support fundraising activities so contact me anytime @ lbj@longviewjerky.com to discuss your fundraising events. Thanks Mike, you and blastzone are doing a real good public service getting word out your readers about a real variety of events, items, services and we all here at Longview appreciate your interest in Longview Jerky.
