Dayton Meats of Malcom brings home the bacon

​     Dayton Meat Products of Malcom earned nine top honors at the Iowa Meat Processors (IMPA) annual convention held Feb. 18 – 20 at the Gateway Center in Ames. Pictured are, from left: Austin Strachota, Colby Jones and Josh Dayton holding the winning plaques. Jake Dayton was not available for the picture.

By J.O. Parker       
 
        Dayton Meat Products of Malcom might think about adding a trophy room to the business following the success they had at the 2022 Iowa Meat Processors Association (IMPA) annual convention.
       Jake Dayton, who owns the business with his brother, Josh, and father, Bill, represented the Malcom-based business with Austin Strachota at the convention held Feb. 18-20 at the Gateway Center in Ames, bringing home nine top honors.
        The local meat processor received the following honors:
        Grand Champion – Cottage Bacon
        Grand Champion – Restructured Jerky
        Reserve Grand Champion – Cooked Ring Bologna
        Reserve Grand Champion – Flavored Snack Sticks
        Reserve Grand Champion – Bone in Ham
        Reserve Grand Champion – Boneless Ham
        Champion – Dried Beef
        Champion – Bacon
        Champion – Summer Sausage
    The business is known for its award-winning meat products and customer service. More than 400 championship honors won by the meat processing company line the walls of the business at 102 Montezuma St.
       When asked where he was going to hang the new plaques, Bill Dayton said he plans to added them and a box full in his office to the walls in the kitchen area behind the cash register.
       “I’m proud of all my employees and businesses partners, who happen to be my sons,” said Bill. “Jake took the lead this year on preparing our competition products with Austin learning the ropes. They did an amazing job and the judges thought so, too.”
       The company has 19 full- and part-time employees.
            “I’m proud to know we, as third generation owners of the company, can continue the winning tradition of quality meat products at Dayton Meats,” said Josh.
            Bill said the American Association of Meat Processor are meeting in Des Moines in July and Dayton Meat Products is one of five meat processors in Central Iowa on a bus tour.