Ryan McCarthy | Original Post

KANSAS CITY, MO. – During the American Convention of Meat Processors & Suppliers’ Exhibition, Craig Hess, president and chief executive officer of Schiller Park, III.-based, Speco Inc. was inducted into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame (MIHOF).

Hess, a third-generation leader for the company, has worked for more than 50 years with his straightforward and steady approach to deliver top-quality products at honest prices while taking care of employees and customers.

“It is an absolute honor to be included,” Hess said. “Just as it’s been such a privilege to work in this great industry for so many years, it’s also humbling to be recognized like this. I am truly grateful.”

Hess started with the family-owned company in 1974, however his ‘unofficial’ start began in 1957 when he attended the annual American Meat Institute convention at the Palmer House Hotel in downtown Chicago.

“At that event, five-year-old Craig donned a bright white butcher’s frock and waved a foot-long hard salami to welcome meat processors into the Speco exhibit,” the company said.

Hess joined the MIHOF Class of 2024, which also included

• Barb Masters (Tyson)
• Glen Dolezal (Cargill)
• Robert Meyer (Meyer Natural Foods)
• Frederick Usinger IV (Usinger, Inc.)
• Roger H. Ball (Golden Valley Natural Jerky)

Since 1924, Speco has manufactured machine parts and tooling that are vital for the meat industry. The company is also the longest-standing member of the Meat Institute.

Along with Speco’s global expansion since the 1970s, Hess has also served in many leadership roles within the industry. He worked on the MISA (Meat Industry Suppliers Association) board of directors, as well as the FPSA (Food Processors Supplier Association) foundation board. He was a founding member of MISA’s Educational Foundation and served as supplier representative on the Meat Institute’s executive board of directors.

When accepting the honor, Hess stressed the importance of the people that helped in the meat industry to get to this point, particularly his family members who work with him at Speco.

“We’re a family business,” Hess reflected. “This wonderful honor really belongs to many key Speco team members over the years, including my father and my great grandfather,” said Hess. “They both worked hard to set a high standard that still guides us. We’ve been very fortunate to have such a dedicated workforce, with great people, generation after generation.”

Attending the Hall of Fame induction with Hess was his family – wife Joyce, daughters Charlee and Jaclyn, sons-in-law Brian and Pete, plus his four grandchildren.

The company also had Juan Mejia and Paul Faso at the event, who have been valued employees at Speco for decades.

Charlee and Jaclyn have been working at Speco for more than 10 years and were recently appointed as vice presidents in 2024, representing the fourth generation of leadership at Speco.

Watching their dad receive this honor brought back memories of their beginnings with the company, and how their father helped shape their outlook on life and in business.

“Speco and the industry have been an integral part of our family my entire life,” said Jaclyn. “Coming into the office with my dad on Saturdays when we were kids, that was a big part of our life. I remember family vacations that included customer visits, and he was always pointing out products at the grocery store that we had contributed to making with such pride.”

Charlee added, “He has always been there for us – his family, his employees, his customers. He is so deserving of this award, and we are thrilled to be there for him to celebrate this honor.”

The Meat Industry Hall of Fame (MIHOF) began in 2009 with the goal of recognizing industry leaders who helped grow and sustain the industry throughout the decades.