William Prokop, Prokop Enviro Consulting, passed away July 25, 2005, five days after suffering a stroke. He had celebrated his 80th birthday on July 7th with his family.
Recognized nationally as a leader in odor control, Prokop began his chemical engineering career with Corn Production Corporation in Minneapolis, MN. In 1972, he became director of Engineering Services for the National Renderers Association (NRA) in Chicago, IL, where he continued to serve the rendering industry in that capacity for 20 years. After leaving the NRA, he began a consulting business where he continued to work with many renderers until his retirement in 2002. Prokop also provided informative articles on environmental issues for Render magazine, most recently in the June 2001 issue.
Prokop’s wife of 55 years, Pat, said he had many friends in the rendering industry and enjoyed working with the NRA members. She added that she treasures the countless memories her husband’s involvement in the industry has provided.
At a young age, Prokop developed a passion for playing piano, basketball, and baseball. He carried his love of piano playing into his retirement years. Prokop attended the University of Notre Dame and received his master’s degree in chemical engineering at the University of Wisconsin. He also served as a naval officer in World War II.
Along with his wife, Prokop is survived by four children, eight grandchildren, and numerous other family and friends. Contributions may be made to Hospice House of Mid-Michigan in Prokop’s memory.
NRA Latin America Office Moving
The Latin America regional office of the National Renderers Association (NRA) has moved as of October 1, 2005. The new address is Sierra Candela No. 111, Suite 501 and 502, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec, 11000 Mexico, D.F. The phone has also changed to (52 55) 59-80-60-80, and the fax is now (52 55) 59-80-60-81.
German Davalos is the NRA regional director for Latin America.
WRO Elects New Officers
At its annual meeting in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia, the World Renderers Organization (WRO) elected the following new officers, who will serve for a two-year term: president, Doug Anderson, United States; first vice president, N.C. Leth Nielsen, Denmark; and second vice president, Trevor Arnold, New Zealand. The WRO meeting was held in conjunction with the Eighth International Symposium hosted by the Australian Renderers Association.
Anderson succeeds Andy Bennett, Australia, who has served as WRO president for the past two years. Anderson is currently the chairman of the National Renderers Association, and Nielsen is currently the chairman of the European Fat Processors and Renderers Association.
The WRO serves as a vehicle for education and information exchange between renderers and associated interests from different countries and associations. The organization also serves as a vehicle to express positions to governments and world organizations. WRO membership includes renderer organizations and interests from Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Cargill Promotes Harlan, Acquires Meat Businesses
Dave Harlan has been promoted to director of Global Animal Health and Food Safety as part of Cargill’s Corporate Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs team based in Minneapolis, MN.
Since 1990, Harlan has held various technical and marketing positions at Cargill Taylor Beef, formerly Taylor By-Products, in Wysalusing, PA. His new role will focus on sanitary trade standards and biosecurity measures in the context of protecting the global food supply. Harlan is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public health at the University of Minnesota to supplement his animal science background.
In mid-September, Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation announced that it has a preliminary agreement to acquire the stock of several interrelated Fresno, CA, meat businesses: Beef Packers, Inc.; Fresno Meat Co.; RPM Beef, Inc.; King-O-Meat, Inc.; and Ore-Cal Transportation, Inc. The transaction is expected to be completed by December 31, 2005.
The Fresno businesses would be part of the Cargill Taylor Beef business unit within Cargill Meat Solutions, and would allow the company to further build its presence on the West Coast. The Roth, Maxey, and Pestorich families, who currently own the meat businesses, will remain with Cargill. The combined employment of the Fresno businesses is 1,155.
Franco Releases Prion Book
Dr. Don Franco, Center for Bio-security, Food Safety, and Public Health, has written a new book, An Introduction to the Prion Diseases of Animals: Assessing the History, Risk Inferences, and Public Health Implications in the United States. The National Renderers Association (NRA) is publishing the manuscript, which will debut at the group’s annual convention October 25-29, 2005, in Lake Las Vegas, NV. It will be distributed to renderers, allied industries, state and federal government officials, and academia.
With the challenges these rare fatal diseases continue to pose to scientists, Franco’s 32-page soft cover book highlights the implications of two prion diseases: bovine spongiform encephalopathy and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. He also addresses other prion diseases such as scrapie, chronic wasting disease, and kuru in humans.
Franco has been involved with animal agriculture for over 40 years. He retired from the NRA in 2002, where he had served as vice president of Scientific Services for 11 years.
Lantec Welcomes Sales Engineer
Ben Caranci has joined Lantec Products as sales engineer, working out of the company’s East Coast office in Norwood, MA.
Caranci has a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Maryland and previously worked for environmental consulting firms assessing treatment system and environmental problems for the U.S. military.
MLA Chairman to Stand Down
Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) Chairman David Crombie has decided not to re-stand for election to the MLA board at this year’s annual general meeting in November. MLA is a producer-owned company.
“I have decided that the time is right for me to retire from the MLA chairmanship,” Crombie stated. “MLA is in great shape and on track with programs securing profitable growth for the Australian red meat industry…now I want to focus my time and energy into other passions in my life.”
Crombie has been a MLA board member and chairman since 1998, when the company was formed following the merging of the statutory corporations Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation and Meat Research Corporation. Crombie said he would remain an active participant in the Australian cattle industry, and would remain an active producer member of MLA.
New Poultry Processing Plant Up and Running
Protein Solutions, LLC, has begun processing at its new 20,000 pound per hour plant in Joplin, MO. The plant processes poultry meal and poultry fat products for pet food ingredients using mostly Alfa Laval equipment, including decanter centrifuges, high-speed separators, evaporators, plate heat exchangers, pumps, and valves.
NRA Staff Named to Committees
Tom Cook, president, National Renderers Association (NRA), has been appointed to the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade, which provides the Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) advice and information on negotiating objectives, bargaining positions, and other matters related to the development, implementation, and administration of U.S. agricultural trade policy.
Kent Swisher, vice president, NRA International Programs, has been appointed to the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Animals and Animal Products, one of six committees that offer technical advice and information on specific commodities. Both will serve until May 2007.
Congress established the advisory committees in 1974 to ensure a private-sector voice in establishing U.S. agricultural trade policy objectives to reflect U.S. commercial and economic interests. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and USTR jointly manage the committees.
New Poultry Research Facility
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in early September for a new $5.2 million facility for state-of-the-art research on chickens and poultry at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in Maryland.
The 28,100-square-foot building is designed primarily to house chickens and turkeys for poultry research conducted by BARC’s Growth Biology Laboratory and Biotechnology and Germplasm Laboratory. The two labs currently share space in a building constructed in the 1930s. Poultry are now housed in other buildings on the grounds, which is operated by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.
Scheduled to open in May 2006, the new facility will have a “U”-shaped configuration. One wing will house turkeys, while the other wing will house chickens. A hatchery, labs, and feed rooms will be located at the base of the “U.” The new facility will also include a shower and disinfection area and other facilities for employees who work in the labs.
Pet Ownership on the Rise
New figures just released from the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association’s (APPMA’s) 2005-2006 National Pet Owners Survey show pet ownership is currently at its highest level, with 63 percent of all U.S. households owning a pet, which equates to more than 69 million households. That’s up from 64 million in 2002 and 51 million in 1988 when APPMA’s tracking began.
According to the 375-page survey that tracks hundreds of pet ownership trends, Americans own approximately 73 million dogs, 90 million cats, 139 million freshwater fish, nine million saltwater fish, 16 million birds, 18 million small animals, and 11 million reptiles.
For the first time, the survey features top-line demographics and other data on the American horse population and equine ownership. This new data shows that four percent of the U.S. population owns a horse, translating to 4.2 million horses. Of American horse owners, 81 percent also own a dog and 68 percent also own a cat.
PM Beef Names President
PM Beef Holdings, LLC, has appointed Gregory A. Miller as president. He served previously as the company’s chief financial officer.
With more than 20 years of experience in the meat industry, Miller has held previous positions with IBP, ConAgra, and West Liberty Foods.
Research Facility Donated
A research facility in Lamar, CO, owned by Five Rivers Ranch Cattle Feeding, LLC, has been donated to the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University. The $2.5 million gift establishes the Southeastern Colorado Research Center, which will provide university faculty and students a realistic setting to conduct animal food safety, nutrition, environmental impact, and management research within the Department of Animal Sciences. The gift is the second largest in the department’s history.
The center was previously known as Continental Beef Research under ContiBeef, which recently merged to form Five Rivers Ranch Cattle Feeding. The center, which was renamed by the university, comprises nearly 15 acres and will hold about 1,500 head of cattle. Through a partnership and operating agreement, Five Rivers Ranch Cattle Feeding will provide cattle for research purposes for a minimum of five years and will supply feed and supplements to meet their nutritional needs. The operating agreement also provides the university with a daily per-animal fee for animal care.
In addition to the research facility, the gift includes five-year funding for a professorship within the department to be located at the center. The position will be occupied by John Wagner, an animal nutrition expert who has managed the Lamar research center for more than 10 years. Wagner has a doctorial degree in ruminant nutrition.
Smithfield Awarded
Several subsidiary companies of Smithfield Foods, Inc., were recipients of the 2005 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards in the state of Virginia.
Smithfield Packing Company received the bronze award for environmental programs for larger manufacturers in the state. For environmental projects, Smithfield subsidiaries Gwaltney of Portsmouth, Gwaltney of Smithfield, and Smithfield Transportation all received silver awards. The awards were announced at the 10th Annual Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards banquet in mid-September.
The award program encourages excellence in environmental management by recognizing achievements that go beyond compliance toward environmental stewardship.
Swift Closes Idaho Cow Plant
After a two week closure in late July, Swift and Company has decided to permanently shut down its cow processing plant in Nampa, ID, due to market conditions and the inability to secure enough cattle to support continued operations.
The Nampa plant most recently employed 408 people, down from 560 in May 2003 when the U.S. border was closed to live Canadian cattle after a single case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy was first discovered in Canada.
Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture succeeded in July in opening the U.S. border to live Canadian cattle under 30 months of age, the Nampa plant processes older animals. With the over 30-month cattle supply from Canada suspended, combined with lingering drought in the Northwest that has pushed domestic cow herds toward the Midwest, the plant was forced to gradually reduce operating hours and staffing over the past two years.
Swift and Company will work with various government agencies and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union to help the affected employees with the transition and job placement assistance. The company will also determine if there are transfer opportunities within the Swift organization.
U.S. Poultry and AFIA to Co-locate Shows
The U.S. Poultry and Egg Association and the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) have agreed to co-locate their respective agricultural expositions beginning January 2007.
Under the agreement, the International Poultry Expo will devote space for a separate feed industry component as part of its annual exposition in Atlanta, GA. AFIA will also explore opportunities in developing and conducting educational venues in conjunction with upcoming poultry expos.
The U.S. Poultry and Egg Association is celebrating its 58th year of operation while AFIA is in its 96th year of providing service to the feed industry.
October 2005 Render