Neil interviews Colby DeFriese, plant manager at Smokey Denmark Sausage in Austin, Texas, after his business card was drawn at the convention. DeFriese discusses the space and capacity limits of the early-’70s East Fifth Street facility and plans to relocate to Georgetown in the next couple years. He shares the company’s history (founded by Albert C. “Smokey” Denmark; first building in 1969; this plant built in 1972) and current ownership by Jonathan and Melissa Pace. He describes retail growth, including entry into H-E-B around COVID and the shift toward a more balanced retail/wholesale mix. DeFriese explains how Tex-Mex influences drive product innovation and how Best of the Worst competition items can become market successes; Smokey Denmark has won four times. He covers his background (H-E-B, BPI, Seaboard, A&M), responsibilities spanning production, QA, and HACCP, and the importance of USDA relationships, transparency, and culture. 

Find us at https://southwestmeat.org/

Find Colby at https://www.smokeydenmark.com/

SMA StartKleen Dove Hunt 

Friday Oct. 2, 2026 – Saturday October 3, 2026 

Copper Ridge Ranch

Nocona, Texas

Visit southwestmeat.org to register. 

Topics

00:23 Meet Colby DeFriese

01:20 Inside Austin Plant

01:56 Georgetown Move Plans

02:34 Smokey Denmark Origins

03:38 COVID Growth Surge

04:30 Best of the Worst Wins

05:06 Why SMA Matters

06:58 Building Your Network

09:00 Career Path in Meat

12:22 R&D and New Recipes

16:47 HACCP and Compliance

18:58 Food Safety Spotlight

20:18 City Consumer Disconnect

21:20 Transparency In Processing

22:56 Culture Makes Quality

23:17 Proteins And Product Claims

25:27 Ingredient Label Reality

26:49 Managing Cost Volatility

29:15 COVID Pivot Retail Wholesale

31:09 Raising The Next Generation

36:16 Personality And Leadership

38:06 Ideal Customers Barbecue

40:25 Smoky Denmark Origin Story

42:37 Visionary Integrator Dynamic

44:08 Wrap Up And Call To Action