CLARION, IOWA – Monday, the Wright County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a plan to build a pork processing plant just south of Eagle Grove.
The $240 million plant from Prestage Foods will snare upwards of $20 million in taxpayer incentives in total, including over $11 million from the state.
It is slated to be built 5 miles south of Eagle Grove, near Webster City and Fort Dodge. The plant will allegedly run one shift only and process 10,000 hogs per shift. A similar plant Prestage tried to bring to Mason City, however, was slated for 20,000 hogs a day after it was fully operational, according to plans they submitted. That plant was defeated in a contentious, divisive battle within Mason City due mostly to the antics of Mayor Eric Bookmeyer, who spearheaded the failed endeavor as the town nearly came apart at the seams. He ignited opposition who rose up and said “no”. He was accused by some of bullying during and after the dramatic saga as he blamed the city council for chasing the plant away, saying they “could not be trusted”.
Several public forums for this project were held in connection to this project in Wright county, which was only introduced several weeks ago before final approval after it was defeated in Mason City on May 3. Some traveled to the meetings to voice opposition, but in the end, the project quickly made its way through the approval process.
Prestage must employ 922 full-time workers in the hog processing facility on the Development Property by no later than January 1, 2020, the development agreement says, in order to comply with incentives. The plant will allegedly bring nearly $43 million in payroll to Wright County. Most employees will be paid about $13.00 an hour and then up from there. Many will be required to work over 50 hours a week.
Construction could start yet this year.
Click Here for the Final Prestage Farms Development Agreement
Click Here for Economic Impact Study of Prestage Project by ISU’s Dave Swenson
Naysayers, did you read the article in the Globe where the large majority of those at the supervisors meeting cheered the vote to move forward? Mason City had such a majority, but sadly some misguided councilmen listened to the minority including those ridiculous out of towners, killed the deal. Wright county thanks them I am sure.
If you think Prestage is so good, quit your job and go work their when it’s built. See how long you last.
Yeah, it’s like people have no clue what this plant entails. They think of it in abstract terms…”jobs good, pork ribs taste good…bacon yum good.” Once they see the animals on the assembly line hooked up by a one leg kicking and bleeding, then dipped in boiling hot water, thousands at a time, it might dawn on them what Prestage is all about. And hoo elfin ra for their little Autistic darling Temple Grandin…telling us how humane and modern the facility will be. 20,000 animals put to death every 24 hours…animals raised in confinement and slaughtered by their 4 month of life. Why be part of it? Go Vegan.
Eagle Grove like so many small communities in Iowa is in decline. Once vibrant and healthy they are being outdone by regional commerce centers like Fort Dodge. They are gasping for air and grabbing at straws and bought the tonic from the traveling Prestage medicine show. Temporary signs of life will soon be replaced by the sights and sounds of death.
Yes, Fort Dodge is both booming and desirable. (sarcasm)
When compared to Eagle Grove, Goldfield, Badger, Vincent, Thor and Woolstock, indeed it is. Far from the ideal but its all relevant.
Wow, a bunch of racists and one vegan.
Yeah it’s actually a waste of time to address losers who work at slaughterhouses, or the corporate heads who create them. They are too far gone. But who can be addressed, and redeemed, is YOU the consumer. By stopping your meat addiction and eating Vegan, not only will your health improve, but you’ll begin to put these companies out of business. The forbidden industries are as follows: Those who deal in arms (weapons), intoxicants (alcohol), meat (killing animals for food consumption), and gambling. These are considered bad karma industries which create victims.
People who work the only jobs they can get are neither losers nor lazy. People who deem that some work is below them and choose not to work are not only losers, but elitist pricks. If they also have their hands out waiting for money they didn’t earn, they should be considered entitled and lazy. Why should the working have to pay the way of these petulant adults? People who can work and choose not to should be denied assistance after a grace period, then after another period have their voting rights stripped. If you don’t actually do anything for the society you live in, why should it do anything for you?
Your argument is total horseshit. The perfect industrial big boss propaganda fed to you since you were born. It’s better to stay st home and do nothing than to work at an exploitative, harmful job. The false economy has been set up to lead you to believe what you believe…the storyline about lazy welfare recipients sitting around while the real men work hard labor. These Big Bosses love when guys like you do their bidding. If they can create a self perpetuating multi generational culture out of it…they succeeded. But concrete can be broken up. Factories can come down. Get your head on straight and embrace the new paradigm. Stop with your Big Boss lines.
Staying at home and doing nothing is unsustainable.
Not true. With ample land and Big Boss off your back, humans do quite well at home-based businnesses. At minimal they can survive. It’s all in how you design things. People naturally want to be active and do things when Big Boss isn’t around. You simply perpetuate the myths of the ignorant past.
You can’t “just stay at home”. It requires resources all of which won’t fall out of thin air. Running a business from home requires even more resources that “just staying home”. Where do those resources come from? Factory labor which you condone not going and preforming? Unsustainable.
But Big Boss knows this. That’s why he created 30 day rent. So he could pull the rug out from anyone at anytime. No home, means no citizenship. You win a cigar from Big Boss for propagating that last point for him. ” THIS IS MY TOWN DAMMIT …AND IF THEY DON’T WORK IN MY FACTORIES, I’M GONNA SHIP EM ON A BOXCAR OUT OF TOWN IN THE DESERT TO DIE!! “.
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That last scenario actually happened in the 1900’s in SW United States.
You need to let go of mommies teat and get out on your own and try to make something of your self. Let your nuts drop and be somebody instead of the lazy teat sucking parasite you are. You will thank me later. Yes.
“Let your nuts drop and be somebody instead of the lazy teat sucking parasite you are.”
OMG….now that’s some funny stuff. BUT…how can they drop, when he’s always sitting on them doing nothing?
Your life is total horsehit.
You are a complete waste of a life and have absolutely no redeemable qualities.
You are a parasite on the backs of others and your inane discourse just masks your deep resentment of people that have given their life meaning.
You attempt to justify your pathetic existence with Gobshite babble that is a cover for your lack of any accomplishments or achievements.
Peter, you are the North Iowa version of Baron Munchausen.
Willing to wager that your birth certificate is actually an apology letter from a condom manufacturer to your parents.
You’re just a little internet troll aren’t you?
If Peter L had ever found a mate that could stand him, had ever decided to become sexually active with a human being and ever unluckily enough for this world, spawned an offspring. He would find that selling his semen online from home was not enough money to survive on or get buy on. But he lives in his moms basement, so all he has to pay for is his wrestling pay per views!
Are you going to run for the city council?
Thank goodness this failed in Mason city. It would have ruined our town like it is going to ruin Eagle Grove and the surrounding area.
I see that Prestage isn’t offering the school districts any help with this deal like they offered in Mason City. Fort Dodge, Clarion and Webster City Schools are going to be impacted in a very bad way.
Wright county=poor leadership and stupid people. Good luck. The Somalian immigrants have been a great asset to the crime rate in Rochester. Migrant workers have really helped turn Storm lakes school district into one of misfortune. Time will tell, hindsight is 20/20. good luck Wright county!!!
…says nothing about the 20,000 pigs that will die every day by the hands of these monsters. NO regard to life. Gluttony, Profit, Environmental Degradation, and TRAITORS to their own homeland. TEAM PRESTAGE.
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Who you gonna kill next Ron?
With any luck it could be ——-.
I love pork chops, Ribs, ground pork, all very tasty.
This is a good location for this plant, far enough away from us that it will not impact us that much. And what the heck everyone knows now that there is no smell in Wright County, just ask Janet Solberg.
Bull Shit.
And how exactly is 95% white Mason City doing?
There’s a reason few immigrants come here and it’s the same reason natives are leaving–a crappy local economy which resulted in Cerro Gordo county having a greater population loss than any other Iowa county in the latest census. Go to Rochester and suggest to a Somali that he move to Mason City and he’d laugh at you.
Maybe some of those hillbillies of European descent on the northside should take it back to Oslo or Dusseldorf.
Why would I ever suggest a Somali move anywhere but back to Somalia? Mason City is not 95% white (though if it was we could use that as a selling point), we have just enough culture to keep a crime rate and our law enforcement busy
How hypocritical! The NIT is anti the pork plant in Mason City now after Wright county gets it the NIT claims they succeeded where Bookmeyer failed?! Total hypocrisy. This article was solely written to take a shot at Bookmeyer and is a cheap shot waste of the readers time. NIT, get off the anti Bookmeyer train, it is boring and unfair.
“The NIT”. Haha. The Bookmeyer train is just picking up steam. All aboard!
As long as I got your attention, stay tuned for an all-new website I’m building, dedicated to Eric Bookmeyer. I’m sure you will love it, just as much as he will. It will be Google-search friendly and have lots of interesting reading for all the world to enjoy.
Maybe the truth about what he did to Alex will come out…
He knows what he did. The sad question is: Who is his next target? There will be one.
Yup, sure will. The next time he doesn’t get to use his position as mayor to line his own pockets and make his fat ass look good, he’ll come after someone else, just like he did Alex. Feel so sorry for his wife and kids.
He did nothing to Alex. Alex did it to himself. Ignoring the truth does not change reality.
Boring and unfair oooh don’t use them words those are Bookmeyer’s words. Watch out for the flying elbow!
This scripture what Christ said about those who “destroy” the earth comes to mind, https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Revelation-11-18/.
Could it be the old cliché, there goes the neighborhood. 🙁
Gee! What a surprise! Hope it was’nt a clinton pay to play – well anyway taxpayers get to cough up 10 million it T I F grants. Man is that area going to be busy – money flowing everywhere – people coming from everywhere – schools will have to be built everywhere around that area – homes to be built – hope its not another boom/bust dakaota fling.
Alcoholism