By: Matt Scher, matts@977thebolt.com
Humboldt, IA – A business that started as a retirement hobby has grown into one of Humboldt’s largest food manufacturers, and Wednesday the community was invited to celebrate that success.
Sister’s Home Style Entrees marked its 15th anniversary with an open house from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 15, at its location at 1303 22nd Street North in Humboldt.
Guests sampled several of the company’s signature meals, enjoyed cookies and refreshments, registered for door prize drawings every 30 minutes, and entered for one of 15 anniversary door prizes. A grand prize winner received a box of 15 Sisters meals. The celebration also included a video tour of the facility, since food safety regulations prevent public tours of the production areas.
Owner Mary Catherine Ferry said the company has come a long way since founder Deb Davis launched the business in 2011, initially planning it as a five-year retirement project.
Instead, Sister’s has grown into a regional operation that recently produced a record 94,000 meals in May, employs about 45 people, and packages approximately 6,000 frozen meals a day, four days a week. The meals are shipped throughout Iowa and surrounding states within a 24-hour delivery area.
Ferry credits the company’s employees for helping navigate years of growth.
“We’ve just always had such a great team of employees that work hard and work well together to figure those obstacles out. We’ve not been without obstacles in 15 years, but never let them defeat us. We just figure them out and move forward.”
Many menu items, including the company’s lasagna, made from Deb Davis’ grandmother’s recipe, are still prepared from scratch, while other ingredients are sourced ready-to-use to improve efficiency.
The company also partners with Meals on Wheels and continues to expand its reach across the region.
Marketing representative Tanya Pflibsen has helped expand the company’s retail footprint, with Sister’s meals now available at locations including Hy-Vee stores in Humboldt, Fort Dodge and Algona, Highway 7 Market in Manson, Cherokee Locker, and several cancer centers.
Ferry said the most rewarding part of owning the business is hearing from customers whose independence has been extended through the convenience of ready-made meals.
“The number of thank-you cards and letters and emails that we get from people saying that it kept them more independent in their home and that it has been life-changing for them. That’s very rewarding.”
Looking ahead, Ferry said she hopes to continue the company’s steady growth while staying true to the mission established by Davis.
“I think just to continue to do what we’ve done, never lose sight of the real reason that we’re doing it.”