Standard Meat Company Co-President Ashli Rosenthal Blumenfeld announced the appointment of Keith Blanks to the position of chief commercial officer at the family-owned firm.

Founded in 1935 and headquartered at the iconic Stockyards in Fort Worth, Standard Meat Company is a meat processing and packaging firm with plants in Dallas, Fort Worth, Saginaw, and Ponder, Texas. An industry leader in quality and innovation, the company is a global supplier of custom meat portioning and packaging solutions for the food service and retail industries.

As the new COO at SMC, Blanks will be responsible for developing and implementing overall commercial strategy, with executive responsibility over business development, account management, customer service, culinary, R&D and product development. As a member of the senior leadership team, Blanks will be responsible for driving revenue growth, expanding into new markets, acquiring and retaining customers, and introducing new products.

“Keith comes to us with over 30 years of industry experience," said Blumenfeld. "But it's not just the length that's so impressive, it's the breadth of that experience. Keith began his career at Cargill, first in operations and then in sales, where he had national account responsibility for a fleet of household-name customers. After Cargill, he dove into the rapidly developing food technology space, guiding truly innovative start-ups to positions of global relevance. Keith is the perfect blend of traditionalist and trailblazer for our 4th generation family company, and we are thrilled to bring him on board.”

Standard Meat Company CEO and Co-President Ben Rosenthal joined in praise of Blanks’ appointment, noting, “Our sales team has done a great job, remaining flexible and agile during a period of extraordinary growth. As our company continues to grow and evolve, our leadership team must do the same. Keith brings out-of-the-box thinking to our team, along with years of experience opening global markets and delivering comprehensive customer satisfaction. With Keith on board, the Standard Meat team is perfectly positioned to seek out opportunities, bring innovative solutions to our clients, and tackle whatever challenges lie ahead.”

Blanks holds a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology and has been active in industry and community advisory boards and charitable organizations, including serving as a chairperson for United Way, a member of the board of trustees for the Washburn Center for Children, and as a den leader for the Boy Scouts of America.