Beef firm buys former
hog plant
By PAUL TURENNE, SUN MEDIA
July 30, 2008
Out with the pigs, in with the cows.
Less than a year after Maple Leaf Foods closed up shop on
its pig processing plant at
Natural Prairie Beef announced yesterday it has purchased
the plant and intends to open it for production of a full range of beef
products this fall.
The company plans to use the 60,000-sq.-ft. facility to
process 250 to 300 heads a day of hormone-free, kosher and conventionally
raised beef cattle, and begin getting the meat on the market before the end of
the year.
Company president Kelly Penner
said there is a great cost advantage in not having to ship cattle out of
province for slaughter and processing.
"The plan is to keep these doors open for
Natural Prairie Beef represents 50 cattle producers from
across
The company currently sends its cattle to a much smaller
slaughterhouse to serve its fledgling market, but once it starts processing in-house, Penner expects the business
will grow significantly.
The plant will employ 15 to 20 people when it opens this
fall and could house up to 80 employees when it ramps up production in 2010.
All employees will be new hires, Penner said.
Maple Leaf closed the plant last October when it added a
second shift at its
Natural Prairie Beef took possession of the decades-old
building July 11 after buying it for $1.2 million -- money it received as an
investment from the Manitoba Cattle Enhancement Council.
The MCEC administers an investment pool funded by a $2 per head
levy charged on all cattle sold in
Kate Butler, executive director of the MCEC, said buying the
old plant was ideal not only because it's had many upgrades and is in a good
location, but because much of the licences from its
days as a pork-processing facility are transferable.
"We are planning public consultations this fall
though," she said. "We want to be good corporate citizens."
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