(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Agricultural Business Luncheon Tuesday at the Le Mars Convention Center. More than 200 attendees heard the message of the newest pork processing facility operated by Seaboard Triumph Foods. Mark Porter the Chief Operating Officer told the gathering the 925,000 square foot pork plant is equipped with the latest technological advancements. He says from ground breaking to production took just three short years.
Porter recalled many of the statistics for the group, including hitting a maximum of processing more than 20,000 head of hogs on a daily basis.
Northwest Iowa is often referred to as the “buckle” of the hog belt, and Porter says Seaboard Triumph is pleased to be located at Sioux City.
The Seaboard Triumph official says pork exports will play an important key role for the new Sioux City processing plant.
Some of the other startling statistics include: more than 300 semi trucks visit the facility on a daily basis, $8 million dollars was invested in air quality filters and equipment to help mitigate the foul odors from leaving the building, and when fully functional, the pork processing plant will employ more than 2,000 people with at least 63 percent of the labor force living in Sioux City. Porter informed the Ag Business Luncheon attendees the plant is the result of a merger between Triumph Foods and Seaboard Foods, which now is the second largest producer of pork, and the fourth largest pork processor.
This year’s key-note address speaker was Mitch Holthus who is the play-by-play announcer with the N-F-L’s Kansas City Chiefs football program. Holthus spoke of how he is using the lessons that have been handed down from generation to generation about always finishing, being accountable, being resilient, and making footprints. Holthus challenged the attending F-F-A members to reach out and “help” others. Both speakers were well received by the attending crowd.
The Le Mars Chamber of Commerce Agricultural Committee also presented its annual “Outstanding Service to Agriculture” award, as well as the FFA scholarship. This year’s “Outstanding Service to Agriculture” recipient was Scott Thoms of the Plymouth County Dairy Farm.
The FFA scholarship recipient was Kasey Riemenschneider of the Kingsley-Pierson Community School.
