St. Louis Business Journal - by Rick Desloge

Double-G Brands Inc. makes its hams the old-fashioned way -- a 72-hour process of trimming off fat, prepping the meat, then curing it for 10 to 12 hours in a smoke room before packaging. That steady method was producing steady, but flat, sales growth, said the sibling owners, Glenda Hoerstkamp, 56, and Greig Gatzert, 51

BRIAN CASSIDY Glenda Hoerstkamp and Greig Gatzert produce 5 million pounds of ham each year, much of it during the fall and winter holiday season.

The two are out to change that. Within the last two years, the company added new products, including deli meats and ham steaks, and began expanding distribution into Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, South Dakota and parts of Illinois. Double-G, which has been trying for years to break into the Chicago market, is near a deal with a distributor for the Windy City that would bring
Double-G products to Michigan and Wisconsin, said Gatzert, vice president of the business.

"We should be able to double sales in the next five years," said Hoerstkamp, company president.

That would take the 22-person business from just over $5 million in annual sales for its fiscal year ended June 30 to $10 million. Hoerstkamp said the goal is within reach based on sales increases Double-G has seen for its premium hams since adding new products and expanding distribution in 2006.

rdesloge@bizjournals.com