Living compassionately means having a humble and responsible approach to serving each other and serving our community.
When we think of a team player we think of Nick Larson! He is always available and flexible, jumping in to help wherever needed both in the field and in the office.
Nick also loves to serve our community by building relationships with key community members. While it is not always an easy task, Nick welcomes everyone with open arms. Not only does he serve others but also our company as a whole.
We give big thanks to Nick Larson! He is a tremendous asset to our team! Congratulations!
Have you been keeping up with RiverWild? If so, you probably have heard that 2022 is off to a wild start. From baby cows to leadership growth, we have been adapting to so many new and exciting changes. Let’s take a look!
In January RiverWild announced its newest brand, Wilders. With a will to win, our farm crew has worked long and hard hours to keep the operation going.
In February, we celebrated heart health month. We went all out on activities such as Wear Red Day and an employee heart health challenge!
The RiverWild family also grew! We welcomed new employees with open arms, ready to be impacted and developed. Some of our wild leaders also earned well-deserved promotions.
Speaking of leaders, we have been advocating for strong leadership and success for all employees. By embracing the changes of the upcoming months, we strive for long-term success, leadership, and healthy habits. For more updates on what is happening on the wild side of RiverWild, click here.
Being intentionally adaptable means “consciously embracing change, through mutual flexibility, strategic innovation, and purpose-driven versatility, to advance our people, products and services.
Throughout the tough time of building homes, Matt Schelm embraced change! He faced a lot of supply chain issues, labor shortages, crazy real estate markets and so much more. With all of these obstacles, Matt adapts each day through critical thinking and problem solving.
These new situations do not interfere with Matt’s quality of work. His determination as a leader stays consistent and focused.
Along the way, he helps advance others on his team and is a role model for all! Congratulations, Matt Schelm!
The five newly-promoted managers, Christine, Fayre, Megan, Brittany, and Danielle, all started with the company around the same time as coordinators. Each of the leaders has “earned her stripes” through hard work and dedication exhibiting RiverWilds core values: Will to Win, Intentional Adaptability, Living Compassionately, and Disciplined Execution.
Women in the construction field
“Jaclyn and I couldn’t be more proud of each of these women who are integral to our companies. There are not a lot of women in construction, and it’s even rarer to see them in leadership roles. We have some tenacious women working here who have earned every bit of this respect and appreciation.” – Reid Smith
Read more about the stories of RiverWild leaders here.
Wilders, a RiverWild company, purchases 1,200 acre ranch in Sampson County, N.C., to raise ethically-sourced Wagyu and livestock
CLAYTON, N.C. (February 2, 2021) – Wilders, a new agricultural venture to supply locally grown, ethically sourced, and sustainably produced meat products, today announced the recent purchase of the Longhorn Creek Ranch in Turkey, N.C. Plans for the approximate 1,200 acres include pasture-raised livestock, Wagyu beef, and premium Wagyu genetics.
“Having grown up in Eastern North Carolina, I have a deep appreciation for the hard-working men and women who have made our agriculture what it is today,” says Reid Smith, founder of Wilders. “Feeding your family healthy food shouldn’t be difficult. But with so many jobs and businesses going overseas, it gets harder every day to find healthy and sustainable products that are grown locally and fuel the local economy.”
Reid Smith is the founder and CEO of Clayton-based RiverWild in Clayton, N.C., along with his wife, Jaclyn. Wilders is a subsidiary of RiverWild and marks the organization’s first agricultural venture after primarily focusing on real estate, construction and development.
“Our aim is to steward the land, people, and animals in our care to provide the best quality products while maintaining responsible and sustainable business models,” said Reid. “This effort to preserve our agricultural heritage has been a long time dream of mine and Jaclyn’s, and we’re excited about what the future holds.”
“Growing our farm over the past two years has only deepened our family’s appreciation for agriculture and farming. We work hard to ensure that our animals receive the best quality care, from ethical treatment standards to sustainable farming methods, to the extra love and attention our kids give the animals on family farm workdays,” said Jaclyn Smith, Founder, Wilders. “We’ve found a tremendous opportunity to revive the Sampson County ranch to establish Wilders operations and look forward to introducing our online market in the New Year.”
Wilders moved its livestock onto the new property in December, which includes pasture-raised chickens, Berkshire hogs, certified Angus and Wagyu cattle. A large sector of the farm operation is the herd of Fullblood Black Wagyu. Wilders intends to become a major distributor of authentic Japanese Wagyu genetics for the East Coast in addition to the e-commerce meat sales.
“We are excited to see the growing investments in the Wagyu breed. This herd will expand availability of fullblood Wagyu on the East Coast, and we look forward to seeing it grow,” said Robert Williams, Executive Director, American Wagyu Association.
“We are always excited when an innovative farm family works hard to expand the reach of North Carolina beef production.”
-Brian Blinson, NC Cattlemen’s Association
“I am proud to see continued investment in North Carolina’s number one industry – agriculture,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “North Carolina has tremendous agricultural diversity and the Wilders venture will certainly add to that diversity and move us closer to reaching the $100 billion mark in economic impact.”
While the ratio of small farms to major operations in North Carolina has shifted in recent years, agriculture is still a major contributor to North Carolina’s economy, contributing $92.7 billion.
For more information about Wilders farm, meat products, and cattle, visit https://wilders.com.
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About Wilders
Wilders is a locally owned and operated farm and e-commerce market in Sampson County, N.C. We source the best quality for your family so you never have to worry about what’s in the food you eat. Our products are locally grown, ethically sourced, and sustainability produced, never sacrificing quality for convenience. The hard working men and women of Wilders brands take pride in doing business the WILD way: with a will to win, we intentionally adapt while living compassionately with disciplined execution. To learn more, visit https://wilders.com.
A “Will to win” means being a self-starter with unwavering drive who competes to achieve success.
In 2022 Will was WILD for this Win! His hard work helped develop relationships with employees while gaining valuable knowledge for various processes. He truly is a jack of all trades for the RiverWild family of brands.
He embraces his flexible role and pushes our sales and marketing efforts forward. He even launched his own podcast, The WILD Life, which has been well-received by our team.
