short courses canceled COVID-19

Cancellation of all March Short Courses Due to COVID-19

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With the rapid spread of COVID-19 and mandated closings of schools and restaurants throughout the state of Illinois, we have made the decision to cancel all of our meat processing short courses throughout the month of March.

We had instructors and attendees traveling from California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Montana, and the Chicago-land area, many of which have already experienced outbreaks of the virus.

There are still no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our community, and we did not want to contribute to bringing the virus to our area.

Our next scheduled short course, Sausage Processing 101, is still scheduled for May 20-21, with Marination and Thermal Processing scheduled for June 16-17 and 17-18, respectively. You can view the schedule and register on our site.

Attendees registered for the canceled March courses will have first priority in registering for the June courses.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but we believe it’s important to do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

warren county 4h happy hustlers tour

Fusion Tech Hosts Warren County 4-H Club

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Investing in the local community is important to us here at Fusion Tech.

It’s why we were excited to have the Happy Hustlers club from our local Warren County 4-H group came out to visit our facility on Thursday, June 6.

Warren County 4h Happy Hustlers tour shopSeven members of the club, along with two chaperones, were treated to a brief history and overview of our company from Dan Bentz, VP of Sales, and a tour of our facility from Jason Vana, Marketing Director. They even got to see the progress of our current expansion and learn how it will help not only us as a company but our local economy as well.

We showed students some current projects we’re working on, both in our drafting department and on the shop floor. They were able to see our new Snack Stick Cutter, two of our Smokehouses, some platforms and stairs, and a few conveyors all that are being built for our customers.

“It was a joy having the Happy Hustlers club at our facility,” explained Jason Vana, marketing director. “The students loved getting to see our shops and the various equipment we use to provide solutions to our customers. As a company, we think it’s important to invest back into our local community, and helping young people see that there is a big company out here with a global reach, and to introduce them to the world of manufacturing, is one way we do that.”

In December 2018, Fusion Tech made a substantial year-end donation to the Warren County 4-H club. Customers and community members were able to vote on where we would make the donation, and the 4-H club won by 54 votes.

If your club or organization would like to schedule a tour of the Fusion Tech facilities, please contact us at marketing@ftiinc.org.

pork belly comb remover

The Best Way to Remove Belly Combs

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Americans love bacon.

According to Statista, 18.31 million Americans used 5 pounds or more of bacon in 2018 alone. If you drop that amount down to 2 pounds, the number skyrockets to over 60 million.

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the best way to slice beef jerky

The Best Way to Slice Beef Jerky

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The popularity of beef jerky is on the rise.

At more than $1 billion in sales in 2017, beef jerky is just entering the growth phase of its life cycle.

According to research from Technavio, global meat snack sales could hit $9.47 billion by 2021, which would be a 9.4% compound annual growth rate. Roughly half of global meat snack sales are jerky products.

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meat slicer safety

How to Improve Safety on a Meat Slicer

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Slicing meat is a dangerous task.

A meat slicer is basically a series of large, extremely sharp blades that rotate quickly so it can cut through even the toughest of tissue.

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shred meat hot

Why You Need to Shred Protein Hot

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The popularity of shredded protein — both meat and a soy-based meat alternative — is on the rise.

You only have to do a quick Google Search for shredded meat to see how popular it is, and scroll through hundreds of thousands of recipes, tips, and shredded protein products.

Americans love shredded meat, and it shows.

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ergonomic solutions for musculoskeletal disorders

How To Reduce Costs of Musculoskeletal Injuries with Ergonomics

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Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) are a major cause of injury in the food processing industry.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, MSD injury rates are higher in food manufacturing than the average of other manufacturing industries. In 2008 alone, the food manufacturing industry as a whole reported 12,170 cases of MDS injuries that resulted in days away from work.

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snack stick cutter

The Best Way to Cut Meat Sticks

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The popularity of meat sticks is on the rise.

In 2017, processors made a combined total of over $1.3 billion in retail sales of meat sticks, up from $466 million in 2015. That’s almost a billion dollar increase in just two years!

Clearly, Americans love their meat sticks.

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wounded warrior project donation

Fusion Tech Donates to Wounded Warrior Project

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Fusion Tech, a leading manufacturer of custom engineered food processing equipment and systems located in Roseville, Illinois, made a donation to the SecondWave Recycling Wounded Warrior Project Cell Phone Donation Drive.

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