MASON CITY – Local officials are finally coming clean on the fact that a slaughterhouse is set to come to Mason City, and job estimates are double what NIT reported last month.
NIT first broke news of a potential slaughterhouse development coming to Mason City on February 8. Local elected an un-elected officials refused comment for that story and our follow-up story this week, which had more proof the development was coming to town.
Finally today, North Iowa Corridor CEO Chad Schreck confirmed that a hog slaughterhouse is coming to Mason City – and it is bigger than NIT was initially told by inside sources.
Mr. Schreck earlier referred to the development as “speculation” and “rumor” as NIT dug for answers. However, today, he was good enough to send NIT the same information that apparently he gave the Globe Gazette prior to today.
Here is Mr. Schreck’s email response, somewhat outlining the new slaughterhouse development project for Mason City:
I apologize for my late response, we had a death in the family this past week and we were back with family this weekend until late Monday evening following funeral proceedings. I’ll do my best to answer your questions, as we were given the ok to share some details about the opportunity you’re referencing as of today.
Confidentiality is critical in economic development efforts with larger businesses/projects, because most companies need to protect sensitive corporate information. In many cases making things public too soon can significantly affect their profitability, share prices, competitive position, or result in political pressures. If we speak publically about businesses considering our area for projects before they are comfortable with it, they won’t come here, and our partners at the state and site selection firms will no longer trust us as a place to bring projects to for consideration. It’s not unlike your profession, if the media outted sources, they would probably stop giving you information and most people wouldn’t risk bringing you information in the future. We do our best to balance the public need to know with client needs to give us all the best chance for a successful outcome.
At this point, we have received the ok to share some basic details and parameters of the project referenced. There will be a story in the Globe with these details today as well. Our process typically is for any economic development project in the Cities or County to come through the Corridor. In this case, we were contacted by the state regarding a potential pork-processing facility, and we coordinated with the City to determine if it was something they would want to pursue, which is our standard procedure. As more details were provided, and questions answered, it has progressed since December to the point where we are under strong consideration.
This opportunity is for a $240 million pork-processing project with 900-1000 jobs with a $40+ million annual payroll, and potential to double both those job numbers down the road, as well as add significant tax base. We are coordinating with the prospect, state, and local officials to work through all details. It would also be a 2 year construction timeframe, on a state of the art 600,000+ sq/ft facility that would bring hundreds of construction/trades jobs over that period.
As it pertains to the activity on the south end, I can confirm that we support the City’s initiative for the urban renewal area. We and the City have identified that area as a key priority for development due to the significant infrastructure with water, sewer, electric, natural gas, 4 lane road access, as well as proximity to rail. This is a strong draw for this client, but we also have a lot of interest and activity with other prospects that this work will help prepare for. We also have the Certified Site there, and the area in general is well-suited to grow. Our goal is to ensure the City is ready for development, and this is a key step in preparing the area for what we hope will be significant action over the next several years.
We’re excited about the potential of our community and high level of interest we are seeing from various prospective businesses. They are noticing the activity here, and we’ve had a lot of projects coming our way. These are really all the main details we are able to provide at this time, but if things do progress, we will update that as soon as we are able to.
Thanks,
Chad Schreck
President & CEO
North Iowa Corridor EDC
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It’s Iowa, we farm and raise pigs. We eat that tasty pork. It’s what we do to create wealth and live comfortably.
Oinker, to quote Daniel Moynihan:you are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts. Get real.
Lamebrain =pubic servant.
Annoying – Smithfield has been here awhile BUT it was only a month ago or so that the Chinese bought Smithfield – I believe the Koch bros crotch/bros owned it till then so there and another child that was left behind.
RIGHT I SHOULD KNOW – Right you should but your head is up your elite pubic servant azz – Also 36 million in taxpayer money incentatives and throw that in with the 30 Million dollar skating rink/dink/hotel giveaway. Do the math -OH ! – that.s right – NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND !
!
Huh?
Mayor Bookmeyer stated “THERE WILL BE NO ODORS”……that’s B.S.! Live hogs produce manure and lots of it. He lies, just as Obama lied to all of America on the Affordable Care Act…….you like your health insurance , you can keep it. That was a huge PROVEN LIE ! Bookmeyer LIES that there will be no odor ! A local attorney has been working on this deal for some time, so guess it’s already a done deal. Mason City will be the GRAND STENCH CITY of the Midwest……hog manure & Vi-Cor = GRAND STENCH, especially with the summer south beeezes. How does the ‘BLUE ZONE’ program address this issue?
Mercy Hospital & Clinics will lose even more patients due to the combined stench. School children will suffer, the elderly will suffer and those folks with any type of breathing disorder will suffer ! Oh, and the ‘median salary of $40,000….well that is bogus as well….those factory positions will pay about $11/hr with an annual wage of approx. $22,000….. isn’t that below the poverty level? Folks need to read/understand the key words….”median salary, foreign owned and not having to follow local ordinances/laws, or even State or Federal laws for that matter. Most likely illegals will be hired, and they might be exempt from paying taxes.
The wind comes from the SOUTH in the summer and will bring pig manure odor over the entire city of Mason City. Get the gas masks ready as it sounds like this is a ‘done deal’. Half of the city already wreaks of stench from Vi-Cor, as they do not follow the ‘no odor ordinance’ with their new West side facility. Bookmeyer fails to enforce that ordinance, too !
The Sky Is Falling! The Sky Is Falling!
Consider this – The packing plant in Austin.Mn. DOES employ foreign workers who do not pay federal taxes because they are exempted because they are not legal U.S. citizens – Number 2 if this is a Smithfield plant this means it is now owned by the Chinese government as thay bought out Smithfield Foods a short time ago. Okay sounds fine -but under obama’s new TPP trade agreement this company can now come under United Nations law and that company and property would only have to abide by international law and not local/federal law. This would also mean they have their own law enforcement department and do not have to conform to locals laws only international UN laws. This is what is happening ow west with the land grab by the BLM – they are claiming all this public land and leasing it to the Chinese government for copper/metal mining and to even a Russian company for uranium mining there fore destroying this land and reaping in the money for the government and to hell with the people. Just a thought – check it out and make up your own mind.
Youza. what a kook.
I hate to burst your bubble but you should really check things out before commenting on here. Smithfield Foods is already here lamebrain and you didn’t even know it. They bought the Armour Plant on Eisenhower. All those Chinese have already taken over the town and you missed it all.
no mention of the millions and millons of incentive money they will want to come here??
there has been
. 🙁
If it is such a good thing then the rezoning of the parcel of property where this will be located shouldn’t have been handled clandestinely. No names or description of why the property was rezoned. just handled as a routine clean up by the City. The Urban renewal Plan Amendment also describes substantial debt to be taken on by the City as a result of this project, $36 million in water improvements and millions more in sewer. This same company was quoted in the newspaper in Sioux City of importing labor from African countries to fill the jobs because of a labor shortage in Sioux City. People here better start boning up on their African languages.
There was nothing secret about the rezoning at all. It was all set up years ago when the infastructure was installed. All they had to do was flip the switch. It has been the long range city plans for years.
I find it doubtful that Muslims from Africa will rush to apply for jobs in a pork factory. It is more likely that Hispanics would apply for these jobs if there are not enough locals willing to work or able to pass their drug tests.
What?? Most of the processing plants have large numbers of Somalians working at them. Oh, and they cut pork. I guess when you live in a town desperate for anything you can rationalize away the plight headed your way.
Hey cracker …………..if any workers, from any country are here legally, doing their job and living within the law, it’s ok by me.
There will not be any Muslims coming here after we get rid of Obama and put Trump in as president.
Oh LVS, I am truly crushed by your disparaging remarks
Since I so admire your take on everything and hope to someday reach your level of comprehension & understanding of the world, may I ask you a few questions?
Did you attend any kind of seminar or schooling perhaps that has made you such a dumbass?
Or are you a self-made idiot?
Did you work long and hard at achieving such a level of ignorance?
Or were you simply born a numb-nuts?
You obviously have never learned a thing in your whole miserable existence. You are a dumb azz liberal with no brains, no futre and no hope. You sound like and are like Lagios. You are probably his ignorant bastard child. If you stick around long enough Mike you just might learn something. I am surprised you took time off from running your dope on 5th street.
Bwaahaaa, LVS you truly are one funny imbecilic old geezer.
You have absolutely no clue about anything and all you do is pull random BS out of your ass (same location as your head).
But you are entertaining, you are like watching a freak show of simpletons.
It is most amusing seeing what latest comment has emanated from your alligator sized mouth, driven by your canary sized brain.
Keep on talking Mike. I have it on good authority the cops are wise to your drug dealing. They are coming for you soon.