Prestage Foods of Iowa’s state-of-the-art pork processing plant in Eagle Grove in Wright County utilizes design features to limit its environmental footprint while increasing workplace safety and efficiency.
The plant slaughters 10,000 hogs daily during its first shift and sends 45 percent of the raw meat directly to retailers and restaurants for ribs and Boston butts while sending the remaining raw material on for further processing into products like bacon and sausage.
Humane Animal Handling
Prestage Family Farms is a multigenerational family-owned and operated business committed to responsibly producing high-quality turkey and pork products through innovation and improvements in animal handling techniques, employee treatment, food safety and quality, environmental stewardship, and community engagement initiatives.
Eagle Grove plant reflects that dedication. Designed with a long-term vision in mind and set a goal of exceeding the industry standard of 25% exports, its success contributes to profitability and supports the local communities that the company serves.
Prestage’s team worked with Epstein Design & Construction firm and Temple Grandin, Ph.D., to ensure the facility would be as humane as possible, providing maximum window openings and an outside covered walkway for socialization before slaughtering hogs. Furthermore, an outside observation deck, ample cut floor space, and sufficient product storage space all helped them craft an exceptional facility for killing.
Additionally, Prestage installed a CIP (cleaning in place) system on its fabrication floors to improve sanitation and decrease water waste. Furthermore, Prestage constructed a wood-fired boiler producing steam as green energy; they use this thermal energy to help keep their plant cool during summer and warm during winter.
Food Safety
Prestage Foods of Iowa is a third-generation family business committed to quality and service, which extends both locally to communities it serves and to those working at its Eagle Grove plant – the most modern pork processing plant in the U.S. where live hogs are processed into fresh and frozen products sold across the United States and internationally.
When a hog enters a facility, its quality is closely monitored for animal welfare and employee safety. All this ensures that pork produced meets stringent standards that guarantee consumer safety.
Eagle Grove Plant’s advanced waste management system incorporates recycling water and sanitizing equipment in place of traditional methods to safeguard hog health, reduce energy use, and cut back on odors produced from its facility.
Prestage Foods of Iowa’s team works tirelessly to meet its commitment to safety, mainly when humanely killing the hogs they process. While Prestage has been producing hogs for over 30 years, March 2019 marked their inaugural day killing under USDA inspection at their Eagle Grove plant.
Environmental Stewardship
The Prestage family takes great pride in upholding responsible business practices, emphasizing food safety and quality, employee safety, environmental stewardship, and humane animal care. Their longstanding mission is to produce high-quality products with integrity while respecting landowners and those who feed their pigs.
An integral component of their philosophy is investing in cutting-edge technology at their processing plant, where they remain committed to constantly improving processes and finding better ways for tomorrow. Their flagship state-of-the-art pork processing facility in Eagle Grove proves this commitment; opening in March 2019, this facility was the most significant single investment ever in their swine production division.
Wright County is fortunate to host one of the world’s most advanced slaughter and processing operations, using cutting-edge automation and processing technology to meet industry and company standards for food, employee, and environmental safety. In addition to offering these services, there is a rendering facility on site to process inedible portions into non-edible products used for pet food, livestock feed, or other applications, while its exhaust vents utilize scrubbers to reduce emissions. Furthermore, a methane conversion system will be implemented for energy reduction.
Eagle Grove Plant employees also invest in their communities by supporting youth sports programs and awarding scholarships to students from their home counties. Furthermore, agriculture is given its due respect. Finally, the plant shows its dedication to its employees by offering hourly wage employees outstanding wages, comprehensive benefits packages, and most weekends off work; all this contributes to reduced turnover while making employees proud to work there.
Community Engagement
Prestage Foods’ plant outside Eagle Grove is one of the world’s most advanced pork processing facilities, killing and processing hogs into fresh and frozen products that reach grocery stores, restaurant chains, and meat retailers throughout North America and worldwide. Of their domestic output, roughly half are sold as fresh cuts (Pork Loins, Ribs, and Shoulder Picnics); any leftover product goes toward making cooked items such as bacon and sausage for further processing by further processors.
Epstein was chosen as their partner when building this facility, having designed two out of the last three major pork plants built in the US over recent years. Temple Grandin also assisted in livestock handling and barn design for this $300 million-plus plant that opened for business in March 2019 with cutting-edge technologies in hog slaughtering.
Eagle Grove Plant employees hail primarily from Mason City, Fort Dodge, Eagle Grove, and Webster City, where the company first made its commitments. The plant established recruiting stations throughout this four-county region to attract local talent for face-to-face discussions between potential employees and recruitment representatives.
Community support of the plant has also been strong. In February, members from Prestage Foods, along with Mary Ann’s Specialty Foods and Webster City Custom Meats, donated 2,250 pork servings to 16 food banks and pantries in Hamilton, Wright, and Webster counties – helping ensure wholesome pork remains available to those communities that rely heavily on farmers, meat processors, grocers, retail employees, and restaurant employees for sustenance.
