Uncle Zip's Beef Jerky After Shark Tank

Myron B. Pitts

HOPE MILLS - Jeff Harris and Ken Howell met in third grade at J.W. Coon Elementary and became fast friends.

They bonded over being "opposites. Down the line," Harris says.

"He was Redskins, I was Cowboys."

Ken was out front and Jeff played the background, an arrangement that continued into adulthood. Ken would regale his fellow sixth-graders with his original stories about a heroine, Mrs. Turtle. Harris did the sound effects - knocking two blocks together to simulate a knock on the door or the clip-clop of a horse. He remembers his friend Fred Howard was involved, too.

Harris laughed on Monday as he remembered when Ken had to remind him to clap the blocks on cue, because Jeff was, like the other kids, lost in the story.

These days Harris, who is 48, is the man out front, as he follows in Howell's footsteps as owner of Uncle Zip's Beef Jerky, a local delicacy headquartered on Trade Street in Hope Mills.

Howell died of cancer at age 45 in May of 2014.

In the late 1990s and 2000s, he was the face of Uncle Zip's - the energetic, glad-handing "Jerky Man," who was a fixture of events at the Crown Coliseum and Fayetteville SwampDogs baseball games. In 2011, his jerky and his story made it all the way to ABC's "Shark Tank," a hit reality show where product creators seek wealthy investors.

Howell conceived of Uncle Zip's while recovering from a serious back injury. He had worked jobs in construction supply and hardware, says Harris.

"He called me one day and said, 'Man I don't think I'm going to go back to work,'" Harris says. "Every night dad leaves out of here with some beef jerky and comes back empty-handed. I'm going to make jerky. "

"Zip" was the nickname of Howell's father, the late Bill Howell, who made the original batch of jerky. His wife, the late Peggy Howell, drew the caricature of her husband that graces every Uncle Zip's vacuum sealed package, featuring thick-rimmed glasses, beard and blue coveralls.

Ken Howell tweaked his dad's recipe and the jerky started appearing in local businesses, bowling alleys and bars. Though Howell seemingly started the business on an impulse, Harris describes his friend as a businessman careful with money and wise in his investments.

Marketing was always on both men's minds and Harris, whose background is advertising, did the Uncle Zip's website.

"Shark Tank" was a dream realized for them, even though Howell did not win.

Harris says he and his daughter Jenna, who is 16 and one of Howell's biggest fans, were watching the show one day and Harris had the idea to run it by Howell.

They sent in a tape and months elapsed. When a producer called, Howell was at first excited then began to think it was a prank. He and Harris were known for pulling each other's leg - and he thought he heard Harris laughing in the background.

When Howell thought the call was fake he started saying anything that came to his mind to the producer - that he rapped, did back-flips, etc.

Howell called Jeff and said, "That was a good one, Jeff, you 'bout got me on that one."

Harris was eventually able to convince him the call was real.

Harris says looking back, the zaniness Howell showed on that phone call might have been what made him stand out to the show's producers.

Now, every time a rerun of the show airs, Harris can look forward to a bounce in sales.

Harris says he'd love for "Shark Tank" to do a follow-up on Uncle Zip's - he could still use a big-time investor.

Meanwhile, he is taking a different approach to the business than Howell, not even trying to match his late friend's stage presence. He focuses on online sales, social media and walk-in customers at the small shop on Trade Street.

He has also expanded the jerky line to eight flavors. He still offers the "original," a tender flavorful treat with a hint of soy, which is straight from Howell's recipe. But he has added flavors that include teriyaki, hot chili lime and a hot version, created by his daughter, Jenna. He is experimenting with cheese jerky and one with honey - using honey from another childhood friend who owns a farm in Texas.

Harris will also debut soon a line of barbecue jerkies - compete with dipping sauce, a wet nap and toothpick. He says a trial batch sold 300 in no time. He plans to sell the sauce, too.

"It just expands it to more people," says Harris. "People get to pick out their flavor."

Columnist Myron B. Pitts can be reached at mpitts@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3559.

Fort Bragg Stories is a collaboration between The Fayetteville Observer and WUNC's American Homefront Project to commemorate a century of history at Fort Bragg through personal narratives. If you'd like to share your Fort Bragg story, you can email fortbraggstories@wunc.org.

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Source: https://www.fayobserver.com/story/opinion/columns/2018/03/12/myron-b-pitts-uncle-zips-beef-jerky-story-of-two-fast-friends-and-continuing-legacy/12935848007/

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