Ann Westover's poultry-processing business may be dubbed "Westover Wild Wings," but that doesn't necessarily mean she's wild about wings. She wouldn't turn her nose up at them, but at suppertime she opts for breasts and thighs.
"Wings aren't my favorite part of the chicken, its just kind of a catchy name," she said. "I like the meatier parts of the bird, something you can sink your teeth into."
As if to prove her point, Westover, a Caro native and a 13-year Marine Corps veteran, bit off a piece of meaty entrepreneurism in the summer of 2009 when she opened Westover Wild Wings in a pole barn in the backyard of her home at 3198 West Gilford in Caro. She processed an average of 200 chickens per day the first season, and averaged about 275 to 325 per day last summer. The all-time record? 409.
"That was an accident, I overscheduled," Westover said of the crazy day in June 2010. "My husband and the employee who works for me almost killed me. It was all hands on deck."
The 1987 Caro High School graduate's impetus for her business also was not by design. After leaving the Marine Corps in 2007, she tried her hand at car sales for a while, but found it wasn't a good fit. She was raising a few chickens with her son, and found out there might be a need for a poultry processer in the Caro area.
The Kluck Stops Here in Kingston, where Westover went to have her birds processed, was about to close. There were poultry processers in Fowlerville, Millington and Brown City, but none close to Caro.
The light bulb came on … but not right away. The Kratz family, who owned the business, had come to know Westover and suggested she open a poultry processing plant of her own.
"I had to think about it, I wasn't sure at first," she said. "But I apprenticed at The Kluck Stops Here, and decided to pull the trigger. I always wanted to own my own business, and I decided this was something I could do. I've never looked back and I love it."
Westover received plenty of start-up help from the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, with regional headquarters at Delta College. The group, which is partially funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, assisted her with a business plan and offered other resources.
Even with the assistance, it was a major decision for Westover. Poultry processing is a fast-paced business in high season, and keeping things moving takes a special kind of dedication and attention to detail. Westover says her experience in the military is a definite factor in her business success today.
"Not everyone can do this," she said. "In the Marines, there are so many times you have to decide to stick it out, and it's the same thing in business. I was taught that if I wanted something, I had to find a way. I've taken that lesson throughout life with me."
Speed is just one piece of the poultry-processing puzzle. Let's not forget the mess. Without getting too graphic, its tough to disagree with Westover when she says, "Not everyone can do this."
The vast majority of the business is devoted to chicken processing, but Westover Wild Wings processes approximately 1,400 turkeys the week before Thanksgiving. It also prepares geese, ducks and rabbits.
Rabbits?
"The USDA won't let you mix pork and beef, but you can process rabbits in the same location where poultry is processed," Westover said.
Speaking of the USDA, Westover Wild Wings has been inspected and has satisfied requirements of the regulatory agency. The USDA tests water twice a year, and Westover washes, scrubs and sanitizes her equipment every day.
As business picks up annually, expansion could be a possibility. It's not a sure thing, but a Fowlerville processing facility recently closed and this could have an effect on long-distance customers.
Westover already was picking up some business from Fowlerville, and with the plant in that community closing, there could be more. Her pole barn measures 32-by-56 feet and the business occupies about half that.
"We're thinking about it, but I'm not sure," Westover said. "We're starting our third year in business and we're in a good place. A real good place."
For more information or to make an appointment at Westover Wild Wings, call 989-239-3733.
Jeff Barr is a freelance writer who has lived in Michigan for 45 years. He has covered every part of the state, including the Bay area. You can reach Jeff via email.