Our Story
Our Story
In the autumn of 1963, Charles “Charlie” Debach, a native of Berwick Pennsylvania, realized his dream of opening a butcher shop in the village of Leona, just outside of Troy, Pennsylvania. Little did he know that what began as a one-room, the two-employee facility would continue to grow and still be serving the community nearly 60 years later.
Charlie, who gained his meat-cutting expertise working alongside skilled butchers in New York City’s meat-packing district, first began using his facility to butcher, cut and freezer wrap cull cows for the local dairy farmers. Always the entrepreneur, he soon after began a wholesale business, supplying beef and pork to area grocery stores and restaurants.
With the addition of a storefront in 1973, Leona Meat Plant developed its retail business, providing freshly-cut meat and their famous Hickory Smoked Hams and Bacon which are still popular sellers today!
Family Owned and Operated
Coming alongside Charlie over the years were his children, two of whom went on to manage the business full time. Sons Charles II “Chick” and his brother Mike have been the dynamic duo behind the Leona Meat plant for the past several decades.
Chick is the expert meat cutter, his well-honed knife skills bringing back the craft of custom butchering. You’ll find him skilfully trimming all the meats that go into the retail case each morning and cutting all orders to his customer’s specifications. His brother, Mike, looks after the administrative side of things. With a penchant for business, he makes sure the facility is kept up to date with its certifications and accounts as well as assisting customers on the phone with their custom-cut orders.
Also assisting in the office is Chick’s wife, Leslie, who provides additional administrative support for both Mike and Chick. But the help of the entire family, from sons and daughters to spouses, has been felt in various ways across the years.
A Commitment to Quality
With over 100 years of experience between them, it is these brothers’ dedication to providing quality products and friendly service to the Troy community and beyond that has kept them in business for so long.
More recently, Leona Meat Plant has had a pivotal role in the sustainable food movement as an organic and animal-welfare-certified custom processor for countless small farmers. But while their primary focus may have changed with the years, their dedication to quality and customer relationships remains the same. And one thing is for sure: they wouldn’t still be here without the support of their valued customers!
Looking forward, Leona Meat Plant hopes to continue to provide service for the surrounding communities and to stay true to the slogan that that Charlie coined over 50 years ago: “Quality is Why We are Here!”