Tom Misfeldt, Owner, Spirocut Equipment Co. and Ranch Oak Farm

In 1983, Misfeldt started making equipment to slice honey-glazed hams. These spiral cutters and the finished product caught on, and in 1991 he upgraded his slicers, making them faster, more accurate and less cumbersome. While the machines are manufactured here in Fort Worth, Misfeldt now ships to several other countries. He recently spoke with reporter Elizabeth Bassett.

What kind of demand is there for these products?

Spiral-cut hams have been around for a long time in this country, but they haven’t been as popular in other countries and they’re just starting to catch on. We’re trying to get into some other countries and sell them. We sell the equipment and we show them how to use it and how to make the

spiral-cut ham. We got an order this morning to go to Ireland. Australia and Canada seem to be the most popular countries. Other countries hear about it and they want to be innovative in their markets and their countries and be unique.

Are people more wary of foreign goods?

It kind of depends on what it is. Because of the U.S.’s history with spiral-sliced honey-glazed hams, I think we eliminate some of that suspicion, and it’s a unique piece of equipment you have to have to slice a bone-in ham. There are only three manufacturers and they’re all in the United States.

How do you deal with the taxes or paperwork of overseas shipping?

There’s really not a lot of taxes or tariffs on this end; it’s generally an import tax that may be on the other end. All of our shipping is done through shipping agents and shipping companies, and they handle all that. If [the exchange rate is] favorable, it helps us sell here. For a long time, Australia was not favorable, but now it is favorable there and that’s helped some, too.

How do you build relationships with people overseas?

There’s a certain amount of trust you have to develop with and for a company. We don’t want to just load a $10,000 piece of equipment on a boat or on a plane and hope it’s going to get there, and they don’t want to pay for something they’re not sure is going to get there. You have to have a go-between, and freight companies do a good job of that.

Contact Bassett at ebassett@bizpress.net