Roger Marshall: “I rise today during national small business week to honor and recognize Dan and Jan Smoots of Emporia, KS. The Smoots…”

“I rise today during national small business week to honor and recognize Dan and Jan Smoots of Emporia, KS. The Smoots were recently announced as the Small Business Administration's Small Business Persons of the Year for Kansas, and once you hear why, it is clear to see they are more than deserving of the award. The Smoots' business, Fanestil Meats, was recognized in part for surviving multiple flood disasters on the Cottonwood River. Their facility's foundation is just south of Emporia in the flood plain, making it susceptible to flooding any given year. Yet, through the hurdles, the Smoots persevered to keep their business running. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic brought on a whole new set of challenges for the Smoots, but once again, they trekked along. With 100 employees to take care of, along with unprecedented supply chain disruptions, they had to be resourceful through this new challenge. Thankfully, Fanestil Meats was able to secure a loan through the Paycheck Protection Program, which the Smoots say was instrumental in keeping the business afloat throughout the pandemic. Moving forward, Fanestil Meats is now constructing a new 40,000- square-foot meat-processing facility that will replace the original plant and help expand the worldwide reach of their beloved product, the Party Time Ham. The new facility is located adjacent to the cold storage warehouse, retail store, and administrative offices that were constructed in 2015 in Emporia, KS.…”