FORT DODGE – A jet owned by Prestage Foods journeyed to its #2 option for its massive hog plant development.
Even as rumors and innuendo swirl in Mason City that a new deal is being worked out behind closed doors between Prestage Foods and officials here, records show Prestage Foods is not quitting on finding a suitable option for its quarter-billion dollar plant in the state if those talks fall apart a second time.
Records show that a Cessna Citation Excel (twin-jet) owned by Prestage Farms, Inc. traveled early this morning from an airport in Clinton, North Carolina to Fort Dodge, Iowa.
There was no immediate word on who made the trip on the jet, but COO Jere Null has been Prestage’s main dignitary/ambassador.
Fort Dodge was Prestage Foods’ second choice for a location for their hog processing plant. They had considered Fort Dodge but chose Mason City, and made the announcement on March 21 at a press conference / gala inside the Historic Park Inn that included Governor Terry Branstad, county supervisors, city council members as well as the elite from the Chamber of Commerce.
The word was, Mason City was chosen over Fort Dodge due to water. Mason City has ample room in its sewage treatment plant to accommodate Prestage Foods and their plant. Up to $35 million in fresh water upgrades, however, would have been needed to accommodate the plant at full capacity. NIT is told Fort Dodge can’t readily offer these water options to Prestage, but, it has an advantage, in that more hog confinements owned by Prestage are in that region.
NIT will report back with more developments as they become available.