April 2009 Articles

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Just Rambling

February 27, 2009 -- a day to remember. A day I could never have imagined would come. The day I was returning from San Antonio on a business trip when I learned the news that Pilgrim‟s Pride had announced the closing of both the Farmerville and El Dorado Poultry Processing Plants.

Not only were they closing these plants but their intentions were not to sell the facilities. Unbelievable! Facilities that were making money being closed down or idled as they; like to call it. I had seen companies over the past 35 years coming and going through acquisitions but never had I seen facilities closed down with no intention of selling.

People were shocked and dismayed. Thousand of workers would be displaced and hundreds of growers would lose their livelihoods with a large majority possibly losing their farms and homes.

What could be done?

As word spread it was soon evident that people were not going to accept this news without a fight. Growers located in both Louisiana and Arkansas, who are normally independent, began to band together to call on their local, state, and federal public officials for help.

This was an economic crisis in the making for North Louisiana and South Arkansas. With the sense of urgency that this situation demanded public officials from both states began to meet with growers and workers from both plants to evaluate the situation at hand.

They began to explore ways to encourage Pilgrim's Pride to sell the respective plants in each state,to attract possible buyers, and to help raise the capital for possibleacquisitions. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Commissioner Mike Strain‟s efforts, with help from our legislative bodies, soon rose to the challenge.

Their efforts did not bring the first bid to the table as a group of Arkansas investors were quick to bring an offer to Pilgrim‟s Pride for the El Dorado Plant which was turned down. When the Louisiana offer did come it was with an established company, Foster Farms, and with state backing to help insure the deal.

The deal didn‟t come easy. First bid - Forty million - No Deal; second bid - Sixty million - No Deal, and finally third bid - Eighty million -Deal. This eighty million dollar deal represented forty million from Foster Farms and forty million from the state. In addition another ten million from Foster Farms and ten million from the state will be infused into the plant to upgrade and possibly expand the facilities.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain, and other public officials made the trip to Farmerville on Saturday, March 21st to make this announcement to a jubilant crowd of growers, employees, and other citizens of North Louisiana.

Through the grace of God, the unity of growers and employees, and the determination, hard work and persistence of our public officials especially Governor Bobby Jindal and Commissioner Mike Strain it appears this dilemma may be a “Blessing in Disguise” for Louisiana growers, but it must not stop here. We must continue to pray and work hard for our counterparts in Arkansas so their situation may become a “Blessing in Disguise” as well.