by Brooke Swaffield, Texas Tech University

Started 50 years ago, Raider Red Meats is known for supporting the animal and meat science programs at Texas Tech University, along with nourishing students’ knowledge, research and meat judging. The program initially aimed to cover teaching costs for the Department of Animal and Food Sciences, but it is now one of the most popular meat suppliers in Lubbock.

Raider Red Meats was not scaled to a fully functioning meat supplier until 2008, but it now employs more than 50 students who work amongst professionals in the production, sales and logistics departments of the business. Students help operate the restaurant, store and lab on campus, making them extremely marketable for employment upon graduation.

“We exist to give students real-world experience, and then to support programs and allow for more experience in real-world learning,” says Kiersten Atkinson, sales manager for Raider Red Meats.

Raider Red Meats’ mission and selling point before it was even started was to produce the best student on the planet, and meat science was the No. 1 reason the department needed it, says Mark Miller, professor in meat science, food processing and preservation and San Antonio Livestock Exposition Endowed Chair in Meat Science.

Texas Tech’s Meat Judging Team is able to access the lab for practice and also welcomes other junior colleges, high schools and 4-H programs to use their materials and facilities.

“You won’t find another university that teaches at the level we do, because of the access to facilities that we have,” Miller says.

Profits go to fund scholarships and also contribute new equipment to maintain the meat lab that will help give students further education, Atkinson says. “We want to make sure that we’re giving back to the community that gives to us.”

Atkinson says Raider Red Meats has been popular in Lubbock for a while now, but it is starting to become more than just a Lubbock thing. Fortunately, people can shop from all over the United States, thanks to the online store.

“It’s been a labor of love for a lot of people, and there’s a lot of us that are very passionate about it,” Atkinson says.

Throughout the years, Raider Red Meats has grown significantly, but ultimately its mission remains the same — to produce high-quality students (and meat!).

“There’s no doubt that the key for Raider Red Meats is the integrity, the honor and unselfishness,” Miller says.

What does Branding Excellence mean to you? Says Miller, “Our biggest product that we want to produce is a high-quality student that has a great work ethic and can go out there and make a difference in whatever industry they decide to go in. We really feel like giving them that real-world experience helps brand an excellent student that ties back to Raider Red Meats.”