American Proteins Honored
The U.S. Poultry and Egg Association chose American Proteins, Hanceville, AL, as the winner of its 2004 Clean Water Award in the full treatment category. Honorable mention went to Tyson Foods, Union City, TN. The award recognizes outstanding water treatment facilities in the poultry industry. The full treat-ment category covers facilities that fully reclaim their wastewater prior to discharge into a receiving water or final land application system.
According to the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, American Proteins’ Hanceville division is the largest poultry recycling facility in the world, producing feed components from inedible poultry. The company has continually improved its wastewater treatment system over the years to the point that it now achieves significant denitrification, even though it is not required to do so. To ensure compliance, the facility has invested in both capital improvements – a cover over the anaerobic lagoon to allow capture and re-use of biogas being the most recent example – and in operator training, with most operators certified. The facility also employs an extensive water recycling program, minimizing its discharge.
American Proteins received an honorable mention in last year’s Clean Water Award competition. The company was also honored by Alabama’s Water Environmental Association in 2001 with an Excellence in Industrial Wastewater Treatment Award.
Former Reno Renderer Passes
Fred G. Manha, 86, of Reno, NV, passed away in January after a lengthy period of declining health. He had lived in Reno all his life.
Manha worked at Nevada Packing Company and Humphrey Supply Company as a butcher. Later, he worked at Reno Rendering Works, eventually owning the company with family members in the 1950s, and later by himself. Manha sold the rendering business to Sacramento Rendering Company in the early 1970s, who still owns it today.
Manha is survived by two daughters, a brother and sister, and numerous other family members.
Alfa Laval Names Division President
Michael Kahler has been appointed president of the Process Technology Division of Alfa Laval, Inc., based in Richmond, VA. He joins the company after holding various positions at Nalco Chemical Company since 1979, including his most recent position as president, Industrial Division, and group vice president. He also served as chairman of the board for the Nalco Foundation, a charitable arm of the company.
During his years at Nalco, Kahler had extensive experience with commercial, institutional, light industrial, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, paper making, chemical, steel, refinery, automotive, primary metals, and power generation customers. He has a bachelor of science degree in natural science from Xavier University.
Alltech Opens 13 Branch Offices
Alltech is launching a bold expansion in the United States with the opening of 13 new independent offices across the country. The company, a researcher and developer of natural feed additives, currently has offices established in 48 countries.
Each new office will have its own marketing, sales, and customer service team and will be able to participate in and fund research occurring at local universities. Expansion plans include new offices in Amarillo, TX; Columbus, NE; Harrisonburg, VA; Brookings, SD; Ithaca, NY; Fresno, CA; Chiefland, FL; Juneau, WI; Lancaster, PA; Knoxville, TN; Ellensburg, WA; Twin Falls, ID; and in Michigan.
Cattle Groups Elect Officers
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Board of Directors elected a new slate of officers for the coming year at the Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show held in Phoenix, AZ, in late January. Jan Lyons, Manhattan, KS, is the new president. She served as president-elect for the past year and automatically moves into the office.
Other officers elected for 2004 are Jim McAdams, Texas, president-elect; Mike John, Missouri, vice president; Bob Rolston, Colorado, Federation Division chairman; Myron Williams, South Dakota, Federation Division vice chairman; Mike Byrne, California, Policy Division chairman; Rob Hendry, Wyoming, Policy Division vice chairman; and Van Amundson, North Dakota, treasurer.
Susie Magnuson, Eaton, CO, was installed as the 53rd president of the American National CattleWomen, Inc., (ANCW) during the same convention. She has been a member of the ANCW Board of Directors and a member of the ANCW Executive Committee since 1995.
In additional to Magnuson, other ANCW officers elected are Marlene Strickland, Florida, president-elect; Nancy Stirling-Neuhauser, South Dakota, vice president; and Linda Yoder, Colorado, recording secretary.
Crown Hires Manager
Crown Iron Works Company has hired Haskell Cooke as its engineering manager for the Central America region.
A biochemistry engineer and food technologist graduate of Tecnológico de Monterrey, Cooke worked in engineering and production management for large Mexican food processors and vegetable oil plants for 20 years before his seven-year partnership with R&D Equipment, Dallas, TX.
Dupps Manufactures Airless Dryer
The Dupps Company has been named the exclusive North American licensee to manufacture and sell the Keith airless dryer (see June 2003 Render). This system, developed and tested in New Zealand by Keith Engineering, Ltd., Sydney, Australia, features superheated steam at atmos-pheric pressure as the drying medium.
The airless dryer does not require odor control equipment. Moisture from the product is condensed, while non-condensables are ducted to the burners. Because superheated steam, not air, is used for drying, the risk of fire is greatly reduced and oxidation-sensitive products are higher quality.
Keith Engineering selected Dupps in large part because of Dupps’ extensive experience in the design and manufacture of drying equipment used in protein recycling. Dupps will also offer complete system installation, including combustion system and controls, heat exchanger, drum, ductwork, cyclone, and recirculation fans.
Meat Association Elects Officers
At its annual meeting in San Antonio, TX, in February, the National Meat Association’s members elected the following individuals to lead the organization beginning July 1, 2004: Ted Miller, Swift and Company/E.A. Miller, chairman of the board; Tom Campanile, Oberto Sausage Company, president; Jim Maxey, Fresno Meat/Beef Packers, vice president; Warren Wilcox, John R. Daily Company, treasurer; Phyllis Antonacci, OSI Industries, secretary; and Terry Caviness, Caviness Packing Company, immediate past chairman.
New Equipment Supplier Emerges
Rendeq, Inc., was developed in August 2003 as a full service provider to the rendering, food, and agricul-tural process industries. The company provides engineering, drafting, and new, used, and reconditioned equip-ment. Rendeq is owned and operated by the Tice family out of Graham, NC.
Perdue Purchases Georgia Facility, Closes Florida Operations
Perdue Farms, Inc., has acquired the former Cagle poultry processing complex in Perry, GA, for $45 million. The facility consists of a 500,000-square-foot processing plant as well as a feed mill and hatchery in Forsyth, GA. The recently renovated plant will allow Perdue Farms to produce, at one location, a wide range of fresh and frozen products for retail customers and further processed products for foodservice and international distribution.
The complex employs more than 1,200 associates and contracts with about 100 local farm families to raise chickens. Perdue Farms expects to increase the work force and number of contract growers as it increases production at the Perry plant.
Meanwhile, Perdue Farms informed the 392 associates at its DeFuniak Springs, FL, processing plant in February that the company will cease operations at the facility effective April 21, 2004. The company will move production from the DeFuniak Springs processing plant to other company facilities – including the newly acquired plant in Perry. Perdue Farms will continue to operate its DeFuniak Springs feedmill, hatchery, growout, and breeder facilities to support its Dothan, AL, and Perry, GA, plants.
“This was a very difficult decision and reached only after examining all possible options,” said Jim Perdue, chairman of Perdue Farms. “Even after we acquired the Perry facility in January, we kept looking for ways to ensure the long-term viability of the DeFuniak Springs plant. Unfortunately, we could not find a way for the plant to cost effectively product the tray-pack and further-processed products that fit our long-term sales and marketing strategies.”
As part of the closure, the company will conclude contractual relationships with approximately 48 poultry producers.
Poultry Association Elects Board
Bill Lovette, Springdale, AR, has been elected chairman of the board of directors of the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association. He has been a board member since 1995. Norman Robinson, Atlanta, GA, was elected the association’s vice chairman, Dr. Ron Prestage, Camden, SC, was elected treasurer, and Henry Welch, Bay Springs, MS, was elected secretary. Jacques Klempf, Jacksonville, FL, will serve as past chairman of the board of directors.
Lovette earned a bachelor of science degree in poultry science from Texas A&M University. He began his employment with Tyson Foods, Inc., in 1982 and is currently group vice president, Foodservice. Lovette serves on the board of directors of Tyson de Mexico, Cobb-Vantress, Inc., EFS Network, Inc., and the International Food Service Manufacturers Association.
Robinson received a bachelor of science degree in agriculture from Mississippi State University. He began in the poultry industry in Mississippi with MFC Services and later worked with Sanderson Farms. He joined Gold Kist in 1983, and in 1989 went to Russellville, AL, to build a new poultry complex where he served as division manager until 2000. He currently serves as senior director of live production for Gold Kist in Atlanta.
Prestage received a bachelor of science degree in animal science from North Carolina State University and then went on to receive his doctorate of veterinary medicine (DVM) degree from Auburn University. Upon receiving his DVM, Prestage began his career in an equine practice. He is currently president of Prestage Farms, SC, and manager of Prestage Farms, MS.
Welch received a bachelor of science in poultry science from Mississippi State University. After graduation, he began his career as hatchery manager with Marshall Durbin Farms. His career then took him to Perdue Farms, Cagle Farms, and Choctaw Maid Farms. He is presently the production manager with Peco Farms in Bay Springs, MS.
Smithfield Acquires Interest in Spanish Pork Processor; Completes U.K. Acquisitions
Smithfield Foods, Inc., purchased approximately eight million shares of Campofrio Alimentacion, S.A., for approximately $87.8 million in February. The shares, representing 15.2 percent of Campofrio’s outstanding share capital, were acquired in a privately negotiated transaction from a single shareholder.
Campofrio is the largest meat processor in Spain and one of Europe’s largest diversified meat processors, with estimated annual sales of about $1.25 billion. Primarily a processor of pork and further processed pork products, Campofrio has operations in Portugal, Russia, Poland, Romania, and France, and exports to over 40 countries.
According to Smithfield, Spain is the second largest pork producing country in the European Union and the market is growing. Spain has the highest annual per capita consumption of meat protein in Europe, with pork representing more than 50 percent.
Within days of announcing the share purchase, Smithfield announced it had completed acquisitions of two complementary meat companies in the United Kingdom, the Norwich Food Company, Ltd., and Ridpath Pek. The newly acquired companies have been combined to form Smithfield Foods, Ltd., expected to generate revenues of $65 million in 2004.
Smithfield Foods, Ltd., will provide retail and food service customers in the United Kingdom with a full line of fresh meats and further processed chilled and canned meat products developed for the U.K. market. The company will be led by John Alton Jones, chief executive officer, who was previously co-managing director of Norwich Foods. Smithfield previously owned 50 percent of Ridpath Pek through a joint venture.
Tyson Consolidates Operations
Tyson Foods, Inc., will consolidate its manufacturing operations in Jackson, MS, into the company’s facility in Carthage, MS. Tyson acquired the Carthage facility when it purchased Choctaw Maid Farms in late September 2003.
The approximately 850,000 birds currently being processed weekly in Jackson will now be processed at Carthage, bringing the total production at that facility to about 2.3 million weekly. New automated processing equipment being installed in Carthage will enable this production to be accomplished with approximately 1,800 people, compared to the 2,700 now employed in the two plants combined.
According to Tyson Group Vice President of Food Service Bill Lovette, “This was an extremely difficult decision, largely because it involves team members, many of whom have been with the company a long time, and a great community that has always been supportive of our industry. But after Choctaw Maid came on board, we found ourselves with excess capacity in a very old facility. We are also faced with a compelling need to install newer, more automated processing equipment, and it simply makes more business sense to invest that capital in the more modern facility.”
The Jackson plant was built in 1961, while the Carthage plant, to which production will be moving, was built in 1995.
Production at the plant will be curtailed in phases, with slaughter operations to be closed on or about May 10, 2004, and the remainder of the production, in deboning, expected by the end of July 2004.
Western Dairymen Elect Officers
Tom Mendes, a Riverdale, CA, producer, stepped up from first vice president to president of the Western United Dairymen (WUD) at the group’s annual convention in February. He assumes the helm from outgoing President Domenic Carinalli Jr., of Petaluma, CA, who ended a three-year term.
Mendes is in partnership with his mother, Hilda, and sister, Mary Ann, on the 1,000 cow family dairy in Riverdale. He is a third-generation dairyman.
Other WUD officers installed at the convention are Case Van Steyn, Galt, CA, vice president; Joe Mendoza Jr., Pt. Reyes Station, CA, second vice president; Jack Hamm, Lodi, CA, secretary; and Rick Alvernaz, Crows Landing, CA, treasurer.
April 2004 Render