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North Country Smokehouse celebrated the grand opening of their new facility in October of last year. Significantly larger than the original smokehouse, the new building offers roughly five times the production capacity of the previous plant, presenting new opportunities to grow the business.

Building the new smokehouse in Claremont, N.H., was a top priority, the community being home to the company’s century-long evolution.

 “North Country Smokehouse has always been a family-owned business and our founders have ties to Claremont that span generations. It was important that our community benefit from the added workforce required by the expansion. We now employ over 100 full-time residents, an increase of more than 200 percent,” said Aaron Corbett, North Country Smokehouse’s Chief Operating Officer.

Consistency is Key

Nestled in the valley of New Hampshire, with sweeping views of Vermont’s Mt. Ascutney,

Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI), a universal, farm-to-fork safety and quality compliance program that awards food manufacturing companies with Safe Quality Food (SQF) Certifications, awarded North Country Smokehouse, a family-owned, artisanal smoked meat producer with a strong history of culinary excellence, the SQF Quality Shield.

A certification from SQFI is the only one of its kind recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), and it is the only program with a food quality component added to its food safety platform. The goal of SQFI is to consistently apply standards of food safety and quality on a global level. The program includes assessment of all facets of the food-processing industry. It also helps ensure producers, suppliers, retailers and consumers that the food products manufactured in a specific facility are safe to eat and are of the best possible quality and consistency.

North Country Smokehouse’s plant manager, Philippe Bouchard, has been recognized as a young leader by the International Production & Processing Exposition (IPPE). The 30 Under 30 program exists to engage young professionals who work for companies directly involved in the production and processing of poultry and meat or the production of animal or poultry feed and to recognize them for their exemplary leadership skills.

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and U.S. Poultry &