We have discussed veterans in pretty substantial detail on the blog: Why manufacturing is a great fit for them, what companies are the most recognized for hiring veterans, what skills directly translate from the military to civilian life.

There are certainly issues to be dealt with regarding veterans, but it’s also important not to forget that it’s not just veterans that need support. American troops are still deployed overseas all over the world, and many young women and men are hoping that they live long enough to become veterans at all.

In , a company called Cappel Sales, Inc. located in rural McCook stepped up to play their part in supporting the troops: by shipping out fifteen boxes packaged to the brim with homemade and locally-packaged beef jerky. The McCook Gazette reports that this is part of a six-year project called “Beefin’ Up Our Heroes.” The project originated with the Nebraska Farm Bureau and Willow Creek Meets, as “Beef jerky is one of the most requested items for gift packages from our service members overseas,” vice president of marketing for Willow Creek Meats told the

Cappel Sales shares the sponsorship for the project with Laird Manufacturing (Cappel is a distributor of Laird’s vertical feed mixers in Nebraska and Kansas). On each package of jerky, a sticker thanking the troops for their service and sacrifices is stamped on before the package is sent. The Nebraska Farm Bureau collects the money needed to buy and ship the jerky, and is also working with individual organizations and companies to help drive funds to this campaign. “It’s the least we can do for what the troops do for us,” Andi Cappel says. And they want to remind everybody that this issue hits closer to home than they might first think: “Just about everyone in the state has either a relative or a friend who serves in the armed forces. Since Nebraska Farm Bureau is a statewide organization, it can reach people from urban population centers to rural communities about this effort,” Siegfried said.

“Beefin Up” started in 2009 with packages shipped by Heartland Cattle Company (another rural McCook company), and since then, a total of 12,000 packages have been shipped to American troops overseas. And by the time these most recent packages are shipped, Cappel and Laird will be responsible for 1,980 packages of jerky sent over as well.

Efforts like this are an outstanding example of the ways in which manufacturing can make a difference, and how manufacturers can come together with government agencies to create good works. Looking at collaborations like this between the Farm Bureau and Manufacturers is just one way that manufacturing partnerships can develop into something amazing.

Interested in learning more or helping donate to this outstanding cause? Send us a or leave a comment in the section below!

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photo credit: via