NAICS 311611 Quarterly Industry Report
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 311611Sector: 31Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This Fair Market Value industry report for NAICS 311611 provides valuation-focused intelligence for professionals assessing animal slaughter and meatpacking businesses. Additional data is drawn from Bureau of Labor Statistics[7], U.S. Census Bureau[8].. Data is sourced from USDA FSIS[6] inspection and compliance data, USDA NASS[9] livestock slaughter statistics, and SBA size standards[10] to support business appraisals, acquisition due diligence, lending decisions, and investment analysis for meat slaughter enterprises.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the animal (except poultry) slaughtering industry.
Industry Definition & Overview
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering (NAICS 311611) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in slaughtering cattle, hogs, sheep, lambs, goats, and other animals (except poultry and small game), including establishments that slaughter and prepare meats in integrated kill-and-fabrication operations. These facilities receive live animals from feedlots, ranches, and auction markets, perform humane slaughter under federal inspection, and produce boxed beef, pork primals, lamb carcasses, and variety meats for wholesale distribution. The U.S. Census Bureau[5] classifies animal slaughtering separately from meat processed from carcasses (NAICS 311612), rendering (NAICS 311613), and poultry processing (NAICS 311615).
The U.S. meat slaughter industry is highly concentrated, with the largest beef and pork packers operating high-speed processing plants that handle thousands of head per day. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service[6] conducts mandatory ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection at all slaughter facilities, enforcing the Federal Meat Inspection Act and Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. Live animal procurement costs represent the majority of operating expenses, with cattle and hog futures prices tracked on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange influencing procurement and forward contracting strategies.
Business valuations for animal slaughter operations focus on daily kill capacity and line speed, USDA inspection status (federal versus state), live animal procurement geography and feedlot relationships, boxed meat yield grades, cold storage and distribution infrastructure, and export market access. Appraisers evaluate plant throughput efficiency, USDA compliance history, labor availability in rural plant locations, wastewater treatment capacity, and the competitive dynamics of an industry where the four largest beef packers control a major share of total U.S. cattle slaughter volume.
What's Included in This Industry
- Sector-specific valuation multiples and financial benchmarks for animal slaughtering operations
- Revenue and profitability analysis across beef, pork, lamb, and specialty meat slaughter segments with yield grade breakdowns
- SBA size standard classification and lending threshold data for NAICS 311611
- Comparable transaction data from recent packing plant acquisitions, slaughter facility sales, and integrated meat company mergers
- Market analysis covering livestock supply trends, boxed beef and pork pricing, export demand, and industry consolidation patterns
- Workforce and labor cost benchmarking for kill floor workers, fabrication line operators, USDA inspectors, and plant maintenance staff
- Industry risk assessment including live animal price volatility, labor shortages, regulatory compliance costs, and disease outbreak exposure
- Regulatory compliance overview covering USDA FSIS inspection requirements, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, and wastewater discharge permits
- Capital expenditure profiles for kill floor equipment, fabrication lines, rendering systems, cold storage, and wastewater treatment facilities
- Production metrics including head per hour kill speed, boxed meat yield percentages, carcass grade distributions, and cost per hundredweight benchmarks
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Subsector | Food Manufacturing | 311 |
| Industry Group | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 3116 |
| NAICS Industry | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 31161 |
| National Industry | Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering | 311611 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 311612 | Meat Processed from Carcasses | Meat processing operations purchasing boxed beef, pork primals, and carcass cuts from slaughter plants for further fabrication into consumer-ready meat products |
| 311613 | Rendering and Meat Byproduct Processing | Rendering and meat byproduct processing operations receiving offal, bones, fat trim, and inedible materials from slaughter plants for conversion into tallow and meal |
| 311615 | Poultry Processing | Poultry processing operations sharing USDA inspection frameworks, cold chain logistics, and wholesale meat distribution channels with animal slaughter facilities |
| 112111 | Beef Cattle Ranching and Farming | Beef cattle ranching and farming operations supplying fed cattle and cull cows to slaughter plants through direct purchase, forward contracts, and auction channels |
| 112210 | Hog and Pig Farming | Hog and pig farming operations supplying market weight hogs to pork slaughter facilities through production contracts and spot market procurement arrangements |
| 424470 | Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers | Meat and meat product merchant wholesalers distributing boxed beef, pork, and lamb from slaughter plants to retailers, restaurants, and institutional buyers |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 6.2% | 81 |
| 2 | Iowa | 5.8% | 76 |
| 3 | Nebraska | 4.7% | 62 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | 4.7% | 61 |
| 5 | Missouri | 4.7% | 61 |
| 6 | Ohio | 4.1% | 54 |
| 7 | Wisconsin | 4.1% | 54 |
| 8 | Minnesota | 3.7% | 49 |
| 9 | Illinois | 3.4% | 45 |
| 10 | New York | 3.0% | 39 |
% Of Establishments
0%
6%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
SBA Lending Summary
80
Total SBA Loans
$83.2M
Total Loan Volume
$1.0M
Average Loan Size
18 yrs
Average Loan Term
9.04%
Average Interest Rate
1,488
Jobs Supported
Source: SBA 7(a) Program Data, U.S. Small Business Administration — FY 2025[4]
Key Insight: The SBA[11] classifies Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering (NAICS 311611) with a size standard of 1,500 employees. Smaller regional and custom slaughter operations within this threshold qualify for SBA-backed lending[12] and government contracting preferences, though the industry is dominated by large integrated packers. Eligible businesses can access SBA 7(a) loans[13] for working capital, equipment, and acquisition financing, while 504 loans[14] support major fixed-asset purchases including real estate and heavy machinery.
Top SBA Lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Avg Loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National Bank | 24 | $33.9M | $1.4M |
| 2 | LendingClub Bank, National Association | 8 | $22.2M | $2.8M |
| 3 | Valley National Bank | 8 | $14.5M | $1.8M |
| 4 | Northeast Bank | 24 | $5.2M | $217K |
| 5 | Dream First Bank National Association | 8 | $4.6M | $569K |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for animal slaughtering?
Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering is classified under NAICS code 311611, covering cattle, hog, sheep, and other animal slaughter per the U.S. Census Bureau[5] classification system.
What is the SBA size standard for animal slaughtering?
The SBA[11] sets the size standard for NAICS 311611 at 1,500 employees, qualifying eligible slaughter operations for small business lending programs and government contracting preferences.
How are meatpacking businesses valued?
Valuations focus on daily kill capacity, USDA inspection status, livestock procurement relationships, boxed meat yields, and cold storage infrastructure per USDA NASS[9] slaughter data.
What USDA inspection is required for slaughter?
The USDA FSIS[6] conducts mandatory ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection at all slaughter facilities under the Federal Meat Inspection Act, with continuous inspector presence required.
How concentrated is the U.S. meatpacking industry?
The beef and pork slaughter sectors are highly concentrated, with the four largest packers controlling major shares of total U.S. cattle and hog slaughter per USDA[15] industry data.
What risks affect animal slaughter operations?
Major risks include live animal price volatility, labor recruitment challenges in rural locations, USDA regulatory compliance costs, disease outbreak disruptions, and wastewater treatment expenses.
What humane slaughter standards apply?
The USDA FSIS[6] enforces the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act requiring proper stunning and handling procedures, with inspector authority to halt operations for violations.
How important are exports to the slaughter industry?
U.S. beef and pork exports represent billions in annual revenue, with Japan, South Korea, Mexico, and China as major markets per USDA[15] trade reporting data.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Small Business Administration, SBA 7(a) Loan Program Data data.sba.gov
- [5]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [6]USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service fsis.usda.gov
- [7]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [8]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [9]USDA NASS nass.usda.gov
- [10]SBA size standards sba.gov
- [11]SBA sba.gov
- [12]SBA-backed lending sba.gov
- [13]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [14]504 loans sba.gov
- [15]USDA usda.gov
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