Halverson noted the proposal is "very ambitious" and has some serious hurdles ahead, such as potentially sourcing the volume of fed cattle needed to keep an 8,000-head-a-day plant operating. "We're a lobbying organization that feels like the markets are broken and the Big Four (packers) have a monopoly, and we want to see some competition, so we're huge advocates," Halverson said. ![]() James Halverson, executive director of the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association in Rapid City, told DTN in an interview that he and members of his board have talked extensively with Kingsbury about her project. Kingsbury and Bednarek did not respond to emails and phone calls from DTN seeking comment.ĭTN had highlighted in an earlier report that the packing plant would be about 25% larger than some of the largest packing plants already in operation that are owned by the likes of Cargill, JBS, National Beef and Tyson, the four largest beef packers in the country. It's a damned good opportunity for us to help our producers and our own rendering business." "She (Kingsbury) is not asking us for any money, I'll put it that way. I personally am not sure what my role will be in that, but our CEO will for sure be involved," Sombke said. "Right now, Farmers Union Industries will be involved. Kingsbury is a fifth-generation rancher in South Dakota who has gotten involved in commercial real-estate and development.ĭoug Sombke, president of the South Dakota Farmers Union, told DTN he and others from Farmers Union have met with Kingsbury at least four times now, which led to the joint venture in which Farmers Union Industries agrees to become part of a research and development committee on the project. ![]() If successful, it would become the single-largest beef processing plant in the country.Īs KOTA-TV out of Rapid City reported, Megan Kingsbury, CEO of Kingsbury & Associates, told the TV station that the plant would be called "Western Legacy Development Corp." Farmers Union Industries would build next to the packing plant to handle byproducts out of the facility, using meat and bone meal as well as making tallow and grease products for the feed ingredients industry and industrial products, Dale Bednarek, CEO of Farmers Union Industries, told KOTA. The proposed plant is expected to take about three years to build and would employ about 2,500 people. ![]() OMAHA (DTN) - A proposed $1.1 billion beef packing plant in Rapid City, South Dakota, got some backing this past week when the group heading the project also announced the plant would be linked to a facility that would be operated by Farmers Union Industries.Īs DTN has reported, Kingsbury & Associates plans to build a plant that would process up to 8,000 head of cattle a day. City and county officials haven't seen the plans, but a ranching organization supports the project, and Farmers Union Industries is looking to partner to handle byproducts from the plant. A South Dakota-based rancher's plan to build an 8,000-head-a-day beef packing plant outside of Rapid City, South Dakota, is still in the research and development stage.
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