JERSEY SHORE, Pa. — Folks from all over our viewing area have trusted Thompson Packing Company, a meatpacker in Jersey Shore, for years. People bring venison, beef, and other meats to the packing company to be made into hotdogs, bologna, and other items.
"Every January we usually take a large amount of meat to Thompson's and this year it was 275 plus pounds," said Pam Clementoni of Hughesville.
"I've been going there for two, three years now. They have done a good job for me until this happened," said Gene Ricci of Cogan Station.
Folks usually pay for their orders after the meat is processed and they pick it up, but they tell Newswatch 16 that they have not received their orders for this year. Newswatch 16 talked with two people who dropped off several pounds of venison in January.
"They couldn't get product. They couldn't get help. It was continuous, every week I would call and it was just an excuse," said Ricci.
"They kept saying it will be done soon or three weeks or you know we had problems because of Covid or we had no help but it will be soon. We did that every couple of months from then until now," said Clementoni.
Other folks took their frustration online. The meatpacking company has many poor reviews on Facebook with people all asking the same question, where is the meat?
"Every other year what we would take in January we would have by March or beginning of April at the latest," said Clementoni.
In a phone call with Newswatch 16, the owner, Rick Thompson, said a shortage of staff and materials is the reason why people have not gotten their meat nine months later. He claims that he still has all their meat. Even with those claims, the packing company is still taking new orders.
"It bothers me that that deer died in vain because I don't have any product from it," said Ricci.
Folks who did not receive their meat from Thompson Packing Company say they just want two things, the truth and an apology.