About Robert (Bob) Dickson

Bob Dickson’s career in meat started in earnest in 1975 when Dr. John Jacobs invited Bob to mange the small feeder pig operations at the University of Idaho.  Along with those duties, he also was asked to participate in operations at the U of I Meat Center, which Dr. Jacobs oversaw as well.

In 1978 after graduation from the U of I, Bob took a position with a small packing facility in Potlatch, Idaho.  The plant handled mobile slaughter, game processing, retail meat sales and HRI/Federal operations.  Since it was only a 3-man plant, Bob’s learning trajectory was very steep and as such was simply a baptism by fire.  He gathered valuable experience in operations, sales, and management during this time.

In 1981, he was offered a position with Oregon State University operating their meat facility supporting classes that were taught within the university as well as providing support for the numerous research projects that were being conducted in the facility.  However, with subsequent retirements and budget reductions cutting positions, Bob was left with a decision to either fold and move on or make something happen at OSU.  He decided on the latter and the Singletree Meat Program was developed for students with students in mind.  The sole purpose of this program was to provide those students wishing to be placed in the meat industry, with our annual placement ranging usually in the 80-90 % number. 

During the time at the university, Bob realized that to get students in jobs, he needed to get them out to industry functions as much as possible.  In doing so, no matter where or when the meetings were held, he would find a way for those students to be in attendance and be introduced to numerous people at the meetings. 

With exposure for students being so valuable and with the new demands from the industry for extended training, new educational programs for processors and producers were developed with students having an active role in the teaching and instruction where it was applicable.  Examples of these classes are the Beef, Pork and Lamb 101 and 201 series for producers.  Basic sausage, ham and bacon classes.  European style sausage classes.  Yearly HACCP and sanitation workshops in the northwest, and yearly classes with processor and producer groups.

Throughout his career, Bob has had an opportunity to travel internationally for various groups and organizations developing opportunities with other countries in training, process development, food safety, and process assessments in over 20 countries.  He has set up operations in both China and Mozambique in both sausage and poultry processing while teaching wide ranging topics to local personnel.

In 2006, Bob took a corporate position with a Northwest Processor managing their meat division for 6 years. His duties their included operating an already thriving pork harvest facility (approximately 400/week), expanding the harvest and processing operations to handling 40-50 head of beef per week, and after two years expanding the operations to include chicken and turkey harvest averaging approximately 5000 birds per week to be used in the parent corporation’s broth and soup manufacturing processes.  With bone broth and stock figuring so prominently in the marketplace and because of his research and development background, in 2012 he moved to the corporate offices to work on new product development and research.  There he worked on numerous projects including natural broth and soups; overseeing the development of a snack and pet food line for retail sales; development of dairy processing facility or cheese production and overseeing a group developing dairy products such as yogurt and ice cream.

In 2019, Bob took a retirement package allowing him to move back home to his home state of Idaho where he maintains a small research kitchen that concentrates on development, innovation and process development of foods including meat, baking science and marination/flavor appplication.