Bottom: Chicken is prepared with grill marks at National Steak and Poultry's 60,000-square-foot processing plant in Owasso. The company's biggest customer is Applebee's Neighborhood Bar & Grill, which has 1,300 outlets nationwide.
Photos by A. CUERVO / Tulsa World

Meat processor tastes success at Owasso plant

The meats served up at some of America's most popular restaurants get their flavor from a company north of Tulsa in Owasso.

National Steak and Poultry Inc. pumps flavor into the sirloins at Applebee's, the fajitas from Taco Bueno and the chicken sandwiches at IHOP. Those are just a few of the more than 100 customers who buy products from NSP, which employs 260 people at its 60,000-square-foot processing plant.

The Owasso facility houses a research and development team led by Tom Gardner, a meat scientist.

"Our claim to fame is our innovative marinades," Gardner said.

The privately held company goes through 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of marinade each week. The meat, after being tenderized and cut, is marinated in large vacuum massagers, where it rolls in marinade like clothes in a washing machine.

"It forces the flavor into the meat," said David Albright, chief executive officer of NSP.

The company's biggest customer is Applebee's Neighborhood Bar & Grill, which has 1,300 outlets nationwide. Other NSP customers include Don Pablo's, El Chico and Spaghetti Warehouse in Tulsa.

Albright, a West Point graduate and former restaurateur, said the company generates $100 million in sales each year, which represents about 20 million pounds of beef and 10 million pounds of chicken.

NSP meat cutters earn, on average, $15 to $16 an hour, he said.

"We cut all of  our steaks by hand," Albright said. "Everything we have is checked for moisture, taste and texture."

The company's 9-ounce tri-tip sirloin, a flavorful cut that is growing in popularity, is NSP's top-selling product.

The secret to producing tender, tasty steak and chicken is in the way NSP prepares the meat, Albright said.

He wouldn't provide specifics but did say that many of the seasonings in the company's marinades are provided by Paul Prudhomme, the roly-poly Louisiana chef known for his Cajun dishes and trademark white cap.

"We buy more spices from him than any other company in the United States," Albright said.

The company receives seven to eight truckloads of grain-fed Midwest beef each week from some of the nation's top suppliers, including IBP Inc. and Excel Corp. The chicken is supplied by Peterson Industries of northwest Arkansas.

About 30 percent of the products processed at the Owasso plant are fully cooked. The scent of freshly cooked meat fills the air in and around the facility. The cooking process is trademarked "Seared N' Sealed."

Chicken, for example, is cooked in a 475-degree oven, striped with a red hot marker and cut into strips. Seconds later, the strips are frozen and packaged in 5-pound bags, which are shipped to customers such as Taco Bueno.

The product line for the company's fully cooked items is at capacity, producing 9 million pounds each year.

"We have sold it out," Albright said.

He said another line will be added in mid-2003, creating 25 more jobs at NSP, Owasso's largest em ployer. The new line will be built to handle about 9 million pounds of fully cooked product a year.

Food safety is a top priority at NSP, as it is at most plants that handle and process meat.

All of NSP's fully cooked products are held at the plant until they are tested for harmful bacteria such as salmonella, listeria and E. coli.

"It has to be negative or it doesn't get shipped," Albright said.

E. coli can cause serious illness and even death if the meat is undercooked.

All of NSP's cooked products are heated until the internal temperature exceeds 165 degrees, the government standard, Albright said.

NSP, which was founded in 1980 by Steven Kormondy, originally was based in City of Industry, Calif. Kormondy announced plans to move the operation to Oklahoma in 1994, citing the state's central location and lower operating costs.

"Our business went from commodity to value-added in the late '80s," Kormondy said. "When we added these value-added customers, 60 percent of our business became east of Denver.

"We're within 500 miles of 98 percent of our suppliers."

The plant at 301 E. Fifth Ave. in Owasso opened in April 1996 after several months of construction.

"I like the people here, and it's easier to do business here," Kormondy said.

Owasso businessman Tom Kimball played a key role in persuading NSP to choose Owasso over sites in Dallas and Waco, Texas, Kormondy said.

"He made it happen," the company founder said.

Kormondy also credited the Bank of Oklahoma, which provides the company financing, for NSP's success. The financing, he said, has enabled the company to expand its operations.

NSP's products, in addition to being shipped throughout the nation, are distributed to customers in Canada, Mexico and the Persian Gulf region.

Russell Ray, World business writer, can be reached at 581-8380 or via e-mail at russell.ray@tulsaworld.com.

Spotlight

Corporate address:
301 E. Fifth Ave. in Owasso

Service:
Processes and packs value-added beef, poultry and pork. The products are sold to retail outlets, including Applebee's and Wal-Mart.

Principals:
Steven Kormondy, president
David Albright, chief executive officer

Employees:
260