Q: Why not bring in a factory that prepares food for hospitals and restaurants and the like?
A: A plant to process that type of food might not be a good fit for Emporia, said Kent Heermann, executive director of the Regional Development Association.
But, Heermann said, businesses already operate in this area that send out processed foods for national consumption.
“We have companies that are in that food chain,” Heermann said.
He mentioned Tyson Foods, Dolly Madison, Bunge and the home-grown Fanestil Meats as Emporia businesses involved in the food industry.
Tyson sends out beef products from Emporia, Dolly Madison produces cakes and other sweet treats; Bunge sends out soybean mash and oil that is processed locally.
Fanestil’s produces hams, sausages, and other foods, including certified organic hot dogs, in addition to its popular beef and beans deli side dish. The company also manufactures corn dogs for carnival companies, he said.
Tyson, too, has begun to produce more specialty type foods that are display-case ready, Heermann said.
“When you think about it, we have the agribusiness here that produces grain crops and cattle,” he said. “... We don’t grow a lot of vegetables.”
Heermann said that the area has been successful in producing ready-made meals for pets, with the American Nutrition plant and Menu Midwest already established here and a Hill’s Pet Nutrition factory now under construction.
In addition to the lack of products to process, Heermann said that many of the companies that process food do not pay wages at the level Emporia requires, not only for the potential workers but to qualify for incentives to come to the city.
“Some of these food preparation industries would be on the lower end,” Heermann said. “... We are specially focused on trying to recruit higher-than-average wages” and the higher levels of skill and education those industries attract as their employees.
Tell (anonymous) says...
Do something its great to focus, how about produce! How many more jobs are in Emporia than fifteen years ago? The R.D.A. isn't doing its job.You can keep swinging for the home-run ,sometimes a base hit isn't all bad.
March 18, 2009 at 2:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )