Our Story Started with Fishing Hooks and a Woodstove
Every family business has a beginning. Ours did not start in a large production facility or with a detailed business plan. It started in 1989 when Perry Hockenberry began experimenting with strips of meat, fishing hooks, and the woodstove at home.
Perry hung the meat above the stove and worked on creating a jerky with the right texture, seasoning, and flavor. What began as a personal experiment quickly caught the attention of family and friends.
They kept telling him the jerky was too good to keep to himself. That encouragement helped turn a homemade snack into the beginning of Hillbilly’s Jerky.
Friends and Family Encouraged Perry to Keep Going
Many small businesses begin because someone recognizes potential before the founder does. In Perry’s case, the people closest to him kept asking for more jerky.
Their response showed that he had created something people genuinely enjoyed. Perry continued adjusting the process, refining the recipes, and working toward a consistent product that could be shared beyond the family.
By 1992, he officially began offering his handcrafted jerky to the public. Customers could experience the same bold flavor that first won over friends and relatives.
The business grew through word of mouth, local support, and Perry’s commitment to doing each batch the right way.
The Business Grew into a Production Facility
As more people discovered the jerky, the original home setup could no longer keep up with demand. In 1996, the business expanded into a full production facility.
This growth allowed us to produce more jerky while maintaining the care and consistency that made the original recipe popular. Today, Hillbilly’s Jerky operates as a USDA-certified business based in Fort Loudon, Pennsylvania.
The equipment and scale have changed since those early woodstove experiments, but the basic goal has remained the same. We want to create high-quality meat snacks with bold flavor and satisfying texture.
The Next Generation Joined the Business
Hillbilly’s Jerky continues to be a family operation. Perry works alongside his children, Sheena and Brandon, who help carry the business forward while maintaining the standards he established.
Working as a family means that our history is part of every product we make. The recipes, preparation methods, and attention to quality are not simply company procedures. They are traditions that have been developed and protected over decades.
The next generation also brings new ideas. Our lineup has grown well beyond the original jerky, giving customers more flavors and products to enjoy while keeping the same family-made approach.
One Flavor Became a Full Lineup
Our jerky selection now includes Hickory, Garlic, Dill, Teriyaki, Cracked Black Pepper, Ol’ Bay, Caribbean, BBQ, and Hot-N-Spicy.
Some flavors are traditional and smoky. Others are sweet, peppery, tangy, or bring plenty of heat. This variety allows longtime customers to stay with a familiar favorite while giving adventurous snackers something new to try.
Hickory remains our number-one seller, while Teriyaki has become another customer favorite. Products such as Caribbean and Dill show how far the flavor lineup has grown since that first batch above the woodstove.
We Offer More Than Jerky Today
As the business grew, so did the product selection. In addition to beef jerky, we now offer sweet bologna, ring bologna, snack sticks, smoked cheese, and smoked beef bones for dogs.
Our sweet bologna comes in traditional, cheddar, and jalapeño-cheese varieties. Our snack stick selection includes classic, sweet, pepper, cheddar, and pepper-jack options.
We also offer sampler packs that allow customers to explore multiple jerky flavors without choosing only one. These products give families, travelers, hunters, party hosts, and everyday snackers more ways to enjoy Hillbilly’s.
Quality Still Comes First
Growth only matters when the product remains something we are proud to put our name on. We carefully select our ingredients, use time-tested preparation methods, and pay attention to every step from production through packaging.
Our jerky is vacuum sealed to help preserve freshness, and our products are made according to the standards required for a USDA-certified operation.
For us, quality is not a trend or a marketing phrase. It is what allowed a woodstove experiment to grow into a business that has served customers for more than three decades.
Become Part of the Hillbilly’s Story
What began with Perry hanging strips of meat from fishing hooks in 1989 has become a family business shipping jerky and specialty beef products to customers across the country.
We are grateful to the friends, family members, local customers, and longtime jerky fans who helped us grow. Every order allows us to continue the tradition that started in that Fort Loudon home.
Browse our online shop to explore our jerky flavors, bologna, snack sticks, sampler packs, and other products. For questions, call Hillbilly’s Jerky at 717-349-2100.
