Morris Burger, along with much of the Burger clan, recently got the chance to travel to Atlanta, Georgia, as he received a special honor - a hall of fame induction.
Burger was inducted into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame's Class of 2019 in recognition of his contributions to the nearly 100-year legacy of Burgers' Smokehouse as it has transitioned to its third generation. The company, under the direction of Burger's sons Steven and Philip Burger since 2000, currently operates five plants across four states: Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina. Steven and Philip now serve as president and vice-president, respectively.
Under Burger's leadership, the company was an industry pioneer in a number of areas - Burgers' Smokehouse was the first to use a robotic water knife for portion slicing, and used controlled environment rooms to replicate the natural seasons of winter, spring and summer to age its Southern Smokehouse Hams four to six months. Along with the company's footprint on the industry, Burger helped to start the E. M. Burger Memorial Foundation in honor of his father, the company's founder, and has been involved in numerous outside boards including the University of Missouri and Capital Region Medical Center.
In his prepared remarks for the event in Georgia, Burger thanked a number of individuals and entities for helping him get to where he is today - from his parents, Natalia and E. M. Burger, to his years at the University of Missouri and as a member of the United States Army.
And when he returned home to California after the event, Burger said there was one quote he thought was especially relevant to his success: "I know of no one who has been able to be successful on their own."