Tech Center helped Enid men cook up a plan for their new business.
Eldon Campbell (L) and Tyler Tate
THEN: Two backyard grill masters with an idea for a new business. Eldon Campbell and Tyler Tate thought Enid, Oklahoma, needed a place where fellow grillers could go for all their meat and grilling needs. They entered their business idea in Autry Technology Center’s Cherokee Strip Business Model Competition in 2014. It was apparently a pretty good idea, because the men won $10,500 and services from Autry Tech.
Tate said the competition helped them prepare for the next steps in their entrepreneurship. He said the contest helped them get organized enough to:
- Buy equipment and hire an architect.
- Move into the Strate Center to continue to develop their business idea.
- Develop the correct plans to provide to potential investors when they pitched their idea.
NOW: Campbell and Tate are the proud owners of T&C Meats, a retail meat market in Enid. They moved into their own facility in 2017 and carry a wide variety of specialty meats, cheeses, hand-crafted sausages and bratwurst, seasonings and more. T&C makes their own snack sticks and jerky. They also provide specialized barbecue and dry-aged steaks.
