Samuel L. Guss:
A Legacy of Resilience, Industry, and Integrity
Samuel L. Guss, born in 1904 in Poland, lived a life defined by perseverance, entrepreneurship, and deep community ties. A Jewish child in war-torn Eastern Europe, Sam experienced firsthand the instability and discrimination that accompanied the German occupation after World War I. He recalled hiding in the forest with nearly the entire town for ten days to escape advancing forces, their homes and businesses destroyed or repurposed for occupying soldiers. Despite the hardship, his memories of survival, family unity, and faith shaped his outlook on life.
In 1920, at just 16 years old, Sam emigrated to the United States through Ellis Island. His father had come ahead and secured work in Salt Lake City, purchasing the Utah Packing and Provision Company (later known as Block & Guss Packing) for $50,000—a substantial investment that signaled the beginning of the Guss family’s deep roots in the Intermountain livestock industry.
Coming from generations of cattlemen and butchers—his grandfather worked cattle until age 90 and lived to 103—Sam naturally followed the family path. After a year of schooling in Salt Lake, he joined the family business. However, his ambitions led him to strike out on his own. “You go north, Daddy, and I’ll go south,” he famously told his father, marking the beginning of a new venture.
In 1946, Sam founded Jordan Meat and Livestock Company, located in South Salt Lake Valley. With his cousin Abe Gross driving their first truck, they began hauling 9–10 head of cattle per trip, often making multiple trips a day. They expanded rapidly—slaughtering 80 to 100 cattle a day by the 1950s—and built a reputation for quality and trust. Sam was known for doing business the old-fashioned way: with a handshake, honesty, and respect.
Jordan Meat grew to employ as many as 60 people. Though the company stopped on-site slaughtering in the 1960s and began sourcing boxed meat from larger processors in Nebraska, Colorado, and Idaho, Sam remained actively involved in livestock auctions, meat procurement, and community relations. He recalled the shift from whole-carcass shipping to boxed beef as a sign of the times—a reflection of growing industrialization and corporate consolidation. “The big boys are taking over,” he said, lamenting the declining space for small family operations like his.
Sam’s business was more than a company—it was a community cornerstone. He supported 4-H clubs, Future Farmers of America, and mentored countless young ranchers and stockmen. He also maintained religious and civic commitments as a devoted member of Congregation Montifiore, Congregation Kol Ami, Bnai Brith, and the Jewish Community Center, while also participating in the Murray Rotary Club.
Jordan Meat was also known for its kosher meat production, hiring specialized shochetim (ritual slaughterers) to humanely process livestock according to Jewish dietary law.
Sam’s personal integrity, his straightforward manner, and his love for both his heritage and adopted home earned him the respect of farmers, ranchers, and business leaders across the West. His brother Paul Guss also operated his own business, Granite Meat and Livestock Co., further cementing the family’s prominence in Utah’s agricultural circles.
Samuel L. Guss passed away in 1984 at the age of 79. His legacy is one of resilience, generosity, and enterprise—a Polish immigrant who came with little but left behind a rich legacy that shaped Utah’s agricultural and business communities.
