About Jason… Let me introduce you to Jason Hoebelheinrich and his business Hoebe’s Smoke ‘N Meats. Jason originally hailed from Yankton, South Dakota just across the Missouri River from Northeastern Nebraska where Jason has family shaped his love for making food. He grew up around parents Dale and Mary Ann and grandmothers who cooked and enjoyed meals as a family.
Jason’s journey becoming an entrepreneur smoking meats, actual began doing something different by attending South Dakota State University gaining a degree in construction management. He worked for a large construction company based in Minnesota’s Twin Cities. He served as a construction engineer and superintendent. It was at this stage in his life he discovered Valentine during a construction project near there. In 2013 Jason left his job with the Twin Cities company, moved to Valentine taking a job with Sandhills Home Improvements.
About six years ago the physical work of being a carpenter was taking its toll on his body and with encouragement from friends and family started down this road becoming a food entrepreneur based in his new home of Valentine located on the scenic Niobrara River in north central rural Nebraska.
About Hoebe’s Smoke ‘N Meats… Jason loves to cook and prepare smoked meats. This love connected with another passion hosting friends and families for cookouts. Cooking for people is something that motivates Jason and started him down this road to creating Hoebe’s Smoke ‘N Meats. Like so many other successful entrepreneurs Jason spent his days doing carpentry work making a living, and then long hours during the evenings, nights, and early mornings learning and practicing. He is self-taught from YouTube videos, books, and friends. Growing up years provided him a foundation for hard work and staying power. Those who enjoy Jason’s smoked creations encouraged him to make this his life’s work. Jason took the entrepreneurial leap knowing that if times got hard, he could fall back on his carpentry skills and still make a living. A smart lesson for other aspiring entrepreneurs. Hoebe’s Smoke ‘N Meats was created on April 14, 2021, when Jason secured a Limited Liability Company designation from the Nebraska Secretary of State. Being an LLC is recommended for all small business entrepreneurs.
Jason’s business is a specialty meats processing business focusing on value added retail meat products, catering, and meal services. Jason shares… “I strive to provide fresh, clean, and scratch made products and meals. Each batch of sausage has spices and seasonings mixed individually. Other products include smoked chex mixes, hot sauces, BBQ rubs and sauces, pickles, salami, snack sticks, jerky, pastrami, bacon, and many others.”
In addition, Jason has a business relationship with Bolo Beer Company . At no cost to Jason, Bolo provides him space in their certified commercial kitchen, outside space for his smokers, and he provides meals on Friday for Bolo’s customers. In a pinch Jason also bartends for Bolo.
Helping Hands… When I asked Jason about who has helped him, he was quick to share his family, friends, the good folks at Bolo Beer Company, and the Nebraska Small Business Assistance Act Program (NSBAA). NSBAA provided him an existing business grant that helped him buy commercial smokers. Until then Jason was using residential smokers, intended for casual use. These smokers did not provide the capacity he needed and were subject to breakdowns. With two new Humphrey Single Wide Smokers Jason now had the capacity and reliability he needs for business growth. The folks with Bolo Beer Company demonstrate how one business is willing to help a startup like Jason’s. This is often the case throughout Nebraska where one neighbor is willing to give a helping hand to another.
Giving Back… During our conversation Jason made two important points about his adopted hometown of Valentine (2020 population of 2,621). First, Jason talked about how welcoming Valentine was to him as an outsider. He truly believes Valentine is his home now. Second, he emphasized his desire to give back to his hometown. When I asked Jason where he secures his meats, he immediately answered… “…that whenever possible he buys his meats and supplies from Valentine’s two local grocery stores…” or Henderson’s IGA Store and Scotty’s Ranchland Foods. He shared that each store offers a roundup for charity where if the cost is $50.25, a customer can round up to $51 providing 75 cents to charity. Henderson’s is raising money for the new community theater group and Scotty’s is raising funds for the Sandhills Area Foundation. As we know, hometown entrepreneurs like Jason are rooted and motivated to provide an important service but also support community betterment activities.
Future Dreams… Jason is a true entrepreneur with dreams and plans. While he loves being part of Bolo Beer, he wants his own storefront in Valentine where he can expand his commercial kitchen, provide more storage space, offer in-shop dining, and expand his footprint in this community. Jason is a bootstrapper and reluctant to take on debt. But he is growing and knows to expand he will need to work with lenders and other resource providers. For now, he has a commercial smoking operation selling his food creations at Bolo and expanding his catering operation. The week of this interview Jason smoked pulled pork for the entire Cherry County Hospital staff, catered a wedding for 200 people, donated salami and smoked cheese as a garnish for the Vet’s Club Bloody Mary special during the Heart City Bull Bash, and smoked prime rib to serve 100 people for a local veterinary clinic. Good luck Jason!
