Missouri Western State University is pleased to announce that a new industrial area under construction in the Convergent Technology Alliance Center will be named in honor of two leading businesses in the meat industry. The Triumph Foods and Daily’s Premium Meats Industrial Technology Bay will recognize the enduring impact the meatpacking industry has had on the region’s history – and will be an integral part of the applied learning labs that will be used for industry innovation for years to come.

“The meatpacking industry has played a distinguished and significant role in the economy of St. Joseph from its earliest days, and I’m pleased that history will be reflected in CTAC,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, Missouri Western State University’s president. “We are extremely grateful to Triumph Foods and Daily’s Premium Meats for their support of the project, and proud that we can recognize that support by naming a portion of CTAC in their honor.”

CTAC, currently under construction on Missouri Western’s campus, is a partnership with North Central Missouri College to serve workforce development needs in skilled manufacturing, construction and related industries. The new technology bay will be part of CTAC’s grand opening this fall.

Funding for the $12 million project has been provided by Missouri Western, NCMC, the State of Missouri, the City of St. Joseph, Buchanan County and several local businesses.

Previously, Missouri Western announced that other parts of CTAC would be named the Gray Manufacturing Workshop Bay, the Altec Manufacturing Technology Bay, and the Humach Advanced AI, IT, and Cyber Science Bay in recognition of the support from those companies for the project. Triumph Foods will also be joining the CTAC Leadership Board to ensure that the training the students receive align with manufacturing needs in operations for years to come. The continued partnership with Triumph Foods and Missouri Western will benefit the CTAC students and local community. 

“We are one of the most technically advanced pork production plants in the country, and our need for highly skilled team members is constantly growing,” said Matt England, Triumph Foods president and CEO. “We are excited that MWSU, NCMC and the other community business partners are investing in developing the workforce of tomorrow, and proud to support this transformational project.”

Triumph Foods began operations in 2006 and has grown to one of the top pork producers in the United States. Triumph employs over 2,400 workers and produces over 1.5 billion pounds of pork annually. The plant sells 30% of its product to 25 foreign countries, contributing significantly to St. Joseph’s status as the third largest exporter in the state of Missouri. Daily’s Premium Meats is 50% owned by Triumph, and opened a bacon plant in St. Joseph in 2016.