‘Resurrected’
Foster Farms officially takes over Farmerville poultry plant
, News Editor
07-15-2009
Met with a hero’s welcome, Gov. Bobby Jindal and Foster Farms CEO Ron Foster joined area officials last Saturday in marking a new beginning for the Farmerville poultry processing facility.
More than 300 invited guests endured the scorching temperatures to welcome Foster Farms as new occupants of the facility and celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Foster Farms, with the help of the state of Louisiana, acquired the facility from the bankrupt Pilgrim’s Pride company, which announced in February it would idle the Farmerville and El Dorado, Ark. processing facilities May 9. The facility will restart today.
Recalling his last visit to the area, Jindal said he emphasized a renewal for the area.
“Last time I saw some of you it was around Easter, and I told you then that we were on the verge of a resurrection,” Jindal said. “This is a resurrection right here in Union Parish.”
Jindal said what impressed him most about the people of this area was their willingness to work rather take the easy road.
“On the Monday after we found out about Pilgrim’s Pride closing, I was here speaking with hundreds of growers, workers and families,” Jindal said. “Not one person asked for a bailout. Instead one after another asked to just have the chance to work. They were not asking for a hand out, just a hand up.”
No matter what trials came in the acquisition of the plant, Jindal said the state as well as Foster Farms remained resilient
“We refused to take no for an answer,” Jindal said. “It wouldn’t have been done without the leadership of Ron Foster. There were a 1,000 times this deal could have fallen apart, but it’s about trust. There were times when there were a 1,000 excuses and the opposition was difficult, but he looked for a way to say yes every time.”
Jindal said although there were naysayers, especially in south Louisiana, the purchase of the plant was best for the entire state.
“The first bill we passed in the legislature this session was to secure the megafund and create over 1,000 jobs and get this facility running,” Jindal said. “When one part of the state suffers, we all suffer. When one part of the state does
well, we all do well. “
Jindal said this was a new day for north Louisiana.
“We have shown that we can compete with anyone for good paying jobs for people wanting to pursue their dreams without having to leave home,” Jindal said.
Foster welcomed Farmerville to the Foster Farms family.
“We are a family-owned, family-run business and on behalf of my family, we would like to say,’Welcome to Foster Farms, Farmerville,’” Foster said.
According to Foster, the company is based on a set of core beliefs.
“We are based on a set of values: excellence, honor, quality, service and people,” Foster said.
Foster said it was a pleasure to see the reception the company has received.
“I see smiles on faces and eyes filled with a future, and joy we can all share,” Foster said. “It’s a great partnership between the community, company and state. We are looking forward to a strong, dynamic future in Louisiana and Farmerville.”
“This is a day for thankful hearts,” Farmerville mayor M. Stein Baughman, Jr. said. “We spent many long nights praying for the best but bracing for the worst. This was an answer to our prayers.”
“We are so proud of you [Foster Farms], and we have the burning desire for you to be proud of us,” Baughman said. “We promise your trust will not be misplaced.”
Distinctly remembering the call he received from Jindal about the plant closing, State Sen. Mike Walsworth said he could not believe the news.
“We had heard rumors they were going to close the El Dorado [Ark.] plant, but we all said they would never close Farmerville,” Walsworth said. “Then we found out it was both. Now here we are, and we know more about chickens than we ever thought we would.”
Walsworth said north Louisiana has been in the eye of the storm for the past decade.
“We have faced an economic hurricane on the scale of Katrina in this area over the last 10 years,” Walsworth said. “What a wonderful day, and what great news especially for northeast Louisiana. This has been an incredible 90 days for us.”
To date Foster Farms has invested approximately $4.4 million in facility upgrades, including a $1/2 million in updating the drainage system alone. The company said it also plans to spend an additional $10 million on technology and equipment to get the site up to “Foster Farms standard.”
“This is a celebration of the revitilization of our processing facility,” Union Parish Chamber of Commerce president Jean Jones said. “This facility means so much to our region and everyone here.”
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