Walk through the doors at Knightstown Locker, Inc. and one thing is apparent: the Titus Family takes meat seriously. From Knightstown Locker’s newly expanded retail space to the growing processing plant, their attention to quality and detail shines through. This commitment to excellence and growth earned Knightstown Locker the prestigious Family-Owned Small Business of the Year Award by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.
Don Jackson founded Knightstown Locker in the early 1960s with basic rented lockers where patrons could store their meat. Home freezers were considered a luxury at the time and few homes had them. The current location opened in 1971 and expanded to meat processing, serving customers from a 100-plus mile radius.
Dan Titus joined the business in the 1980s and became a partner, purchasing the company when Jackson retired in the 1990s. Knightstown Locker is truly a family partnership. Both Dan and Denise Titus work in the business, along with their two sons Walker and Travis who are journey meat cutters and butchers. Kyle Underwood, Dan and Denise’s nephew, has been instrumental in the business since 2004, serving as a journey meat cutter and butcher and is the Harvest and Processing Team Leader.
Knightstown Locker offers some catering options and a Country Meat Market. The market has beef, pork, poultry, lamb, bison, venison, elk, and seafood along with milk, honey, eggs, and cheese. They have increased their retail footprint in the past eight months and are booking out one year for butchering.
“To accommodate the demand for locally sourced meat, we are in the midst of construction to update and increase holding coolers’ capacity for processing,” shared Denise Titus.
Knightstown Locker is an active participant in the Cooperative Interstate Shipment (CIS) program, approved by the USDA. They are in excellent standing with the Indiana State Meat and Poultry Inspection Division, meeting the ever-changing demands in meat processing and food safety programs.
“Although we are classified as very small, Knightstown Locker, Inc. maintains the same high standards as large processing plants,” Dan Titus pointed out. “Increasing key capacities over the years has ensured the business stays current with market demands. Keeping up with butchering demand has been a struggle over the last few years, we are hopeful that increasing capacity will help meet these customers’ needs.”
As the business grew, the Tituses recognized they needed business planning resources. They connected with the East Central Indiana Small Business Development Center and began using Live Plan, a software tool for business planning.
“This was instrumental for us to create a business plan to help plan for the future and the business plan was an instrumental tool used for grant opportunities. We also attended training classes that have been offered,” noted Denise. “We truly appreciate the support we have received in the last couple years. Now that we are acquainted, we intend to utilize SBDC as much as feasible.”
The Titus family attributes much of their growth to the strong relationships they have with customers. Customers range from farmers who use Knightstown Locker for butchering to hunters who use the company for deer processing.
“Loyal customers are the livelihood of any business, and while businesses often direct their attention on attracting new clients, strengthening connections with existing customers has been a high priority and most important to the longevity of this company. Knightstown Locker, Inc.’s growth strategies and sound business values have defined its success,” explained Dan.
The East Central Indiana Small Business Development Center nominated Knightstown Locker for the Family-Owned Business of the Year award. This recognition, awarded during the U.S. Small Business Administration’s National Small Business Week, honored the Tituses for their contributions to growing Indiana’s economy and strengthening their community.
“We were completely in awe over the honor of the family-owned business of the year,” Denise expressed. “We were truly honored to receive this recognition.”
To learn more about Knightstown Locker, Inc., visit knightstownmeats.com and follow them on Facebook.