State officials said it’s possible the shuttered HyLife plant in Windom could be operational again in “a couple months.” The plant’s closure on June 2 resulted in more than 1,000 workers losing their jobs.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has been in contact with the plant’s new owner Premium Iowa Pork. It purchased the southwestern Minnesota plant for $14 million.
State officials say the company is assessing the facility and considering equipment updates and upgrades.
Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen told MPR News the plant may be operational “in a couple months and contributing to the [Windom] community.”
Petersen said work is being done to ensure that the plant is sustainable for the future.
HyLife reported monthly losses of $6 million. The Windom plant changed hands a few times before HyLife purchased the plant in 2020.
“So for [Premium Iowa Pork] to get in there and look at what they have in the plant, configure it so that it's going to work for them is really important,” Petersen said. “In the long run, I think that’s a good thing.”
Possible automation
Windom City Administrator Steve Nasby said in an email this week the city met with Premium Iowa Pork leaders and that “they will be working on the completion of the sale and taking the next 60 days to evaluate the plant and formulate their strategies for the future.”
It’s possible that the plant will be more automated with fewer workers, but Petersen described Windom officials, former plant workers and farmers as having “cautious optimism” because Premium Iowa Pork also owns a plant in Luverne, Minn., in Rock County.
“They’ve done a really nice job [in Luverne] and hopefully they can continue that success in Windom,” Petersen said. “That’s what I see when I look at them coming in [Windom]. And we can look at what they’ve done and learn and have hope for what they’re going to do.”
Source: mprnews.org
Photo Credit: pexels-sharath-g
Categories: Minnesota, Business