Source: Prestage Foods of Iowa LLC

Prestage Foods of Iowa LLC has officially broken ground to begin construction of its new fresh pork processing plant, though no ceremony was held.

“With the initial engineering complete, we are excited to be moving into the construction phase of this project,” says Jere Null, COO of Prestage Foods of Iowa. “At the peak of construction, we expect over 600 people to be working daily at the site. After construction, we will permanently employ approximately 1,000 people. We are proud to be investing and creating opportunities for the people of Wright County, the region and the state of Iowa.”

Prestage Farms currently raises pigs in more than 30 Iowa counties. The new facility will support these operations and will use state-of-the art systems to clean the air, reduce water and energy needs, provide a safe work environment, and will utilize the latest innovations in processing and automation technology to help ensure that it is a world leader in food, employee, and environmental safety. With construction beginning, the new plant is set for first operations in the fall of 2018.

“We are confident that we will be able to translate and apply the same commitment to quality in processing that we have to our live animal production business,” says Ron Prestage, on behalf of the Prestage family. “This is an exciting time in our industry, and an exciting time for our family business!”

Prestage Farms, Inc. is a multi-generational family-owned and operated business started by Bill and Marsha Prestage in 1983. The Prestages, along with their three sons, still own and actively operate this multifaceted business. Today, Prestage Farms, along with its affiliates, is a Top 5 producer of quality pork and turkey that employs more than 2,000 people company-wide, contracts with more than 475 farm families in seven states, and produces more than 1 billion live pounds of meat annually. Prestage Farms Inc. is headquartered in Clinton, N.C., and has operations in Iowa, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and Oklahoma.