We turn complex challenges into working systems with real results.
We’re a family-owned company that’s devoted more than 45 years to innovation in the meat industry.
We solve complex problems others only talk about – with technology, tenacity, and results. We build smarter processes, deliver better products, enhance food safety, and create real value across the supply chain.
Our experience has taught us that nothing gets done by discussion alone. We learn by doing the work – designing systems, operating them at scale, learning what works, and refining what doesn’t.
That practical, proven approach is how we’ve built a company that lasts – and how we continue to raise the standard for what food can be.
Everything we do is guided by a simple belief: every person, at every economic level, deserves access to quality, affordable, great-tasting beef.
By building smart processes and making the most of what already exists, we’re able to deliver better food without asking people to choose between quality and value. That commitment shows up in every pound of ground beef and every box of steak produced in our facilities.
We see this as a responsibility – not just to our customers, but to the broader food system we’re part of. That’s what Good Food for All means to us, and why we’ll never settle for less.
We are a family-owned company, built from the ground up. We lead, care for, and invest in it the same way we would our own family. We’re not building for the next five or ten years. We’re building to last for the next five decades.
That means we don’t cut corners. And we don’t believe in trade-offs.
Every process, every product, and every advancement reflects our belief that good food should never come with compromise – on taste, quality, safety, or value. When the harder path produces a better outcome, that’s the path we choose.
“No Compromises” isn’t a slogan. It’s how we work – and why we continue to deliver safer, better-tasting, more consistent food people can trust.
To us, the future of food isn’t only about better systems and better products – it’s about the people who make them possible.
That’s why we design our facilities, processes, and technology to support safe, reliable, and sustainable work over time. From automation that reduces risk to systems that eliminate unnecessary strain, we build environments where skilled people can do their best work, day after day.
By pairing the best technology with skilled people, we’re building long-term careers – and a company built to last.
We go after the hard problems others avoid. We work through uncertainty — testing, learning, iterating, and staying with it until we get it right.
We design and build our own systems. Owning the work lets us move faster, go farther, and do things the right way – not the easy way.
Innovation isn’t a department – it’s how we operate. We continue to push beyond what exists to create better processes, products, and results.
We never settle for “good enough.” We question what works today and refine it to be better tomorrow.
We build relationships to last. We stay engaged, take responsibility, and work through challenges alongside our partners over time.
Our founder, Eldon Roth, has always been a hands-on problem solver with an inherent curiosity about how things work. While working the night shift at a dairy plant, he saw firsthand the limitations and food safety risks of conventional processing equipment. With $5,000 borrowed on a handshake, Eldon & Regina Roth started a refrigeration company that would eventually grow into the company we lead today.
Innovation has kept us going and still drives us today. We use technology and tenacity to solve complex problems and create value that didn’t exist before.
Over time, Eldon Roth and Regina Roth helped shepherd industry-leading innovations that fueled the company’s growth and laid the foundation for what it is today. That progress was built through hands-on work alongside skilled people, learning through experience, and a commitment to doing things the right way.
By working closely with major U.S. packers and ground beef producers, our smart, proprietary process captures more lean beef from every head of cattle – delivering ground beef that’s leaner, more nutritious, better tasting, and more sustainable, all at a better value.
We didn’t stop there. We continued finding new ways to create value and expand our products. From lean ground beef to steaks, roasts, and retail brands, our food is enjoyed in restaurant meals and on family tables nationwide.
Today, Empirical is led by the second generation – Nick Roth, alongside Craig Letch and Jennifer Letch – carrying forward the same values that shaped the company from the start.
empirical now employs more than 1,400 people and operates state-of-the-art production facilities in South Sioux City, Nebraska and Garden City, Kansas continuing to build for the future while staying grounded in how the company began.
Our production facilities are state of the art – built for continuous innovation.
Every process and product is backed by relentless R&D.
We don’t just innovate solutions – we design, manufacture, install, and operate the equipment ourselves. We don’t stop there.
Real-time feedback drives ongoing improvements across everything we do.
Some might call it obsession.
We say it’s the only way.
290,000 sq ft – Production & Cold Storage
Production facility, cold storage and on-site machine shop capable of manufacturing custom-engineered equipment and parts for our operations.
280,000 sq ft – Production Space
Completed in 2025 – the most sophisticated food production facility in the world to meet the growing demand for lean ground beef and deliver unmatched food safety, automation, and scale.
