Tyler's Greenberg Smoked Turkeys Up And Running Following Last Year's Processing Plant Fire
TYLER, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A company responsible for a holiday favorite made right here in Texas, but popular across the country, is trying to bounce back after a crippling event last year.
Greenberg Smoked Turkeys are available again this holiday season after a devastating fire in November 2020.
"I honestly worried, especially with a seasonal business, that we would lose our customers," says Owner Sam Greenberg. "You give people a chance to try something else, you may never get them back."
A huge freezer that stored 89,000 smoked turkeys, which were ready to ship, burned to the ground.
Today, thousands of Greenberg Smoked Turkey are stacked inside a brand new freezer finished just last month.
"We were very driven that we were going to rebuild and have this done by the season," he says.
The multi-million dollar rebuild protected the legacy of not just a Tyler business, but also holiday staple for more than 200,000 families across the country.
"They haven't had their turkey in two years and they want one of our turkeys," says Greenberg. "It looks like we're going to sell about 115,000 to 120,000 for Thanksgiving alone which is by far a record."
The turkeys are cleaned and seasoned before spending hours in a huge smoke chamber which turns the skin almost black.
After the fire last year, some customers with pending orders declined their refunds to help Greenberg with his massive rebuilding project.
"I have the absolute best customers in the world they will stick with us and they will follow us," he says.
In addition to its loyal customer base, there are 165 Greenberg employees during the holidays who depended on this company to come back.
They, more than anyone, are relieved that it has.
