Farm News, IA
05-30-07
Smithfield to close Iowa Quality Meats in Clive
By Kristin Danley-Greiner, Farm News staff
CLIVE — Iowa Quality Meats in Clive, a business owned by John Morrell & Co., announced it would close with some production already stopping, a move that has disappointed Iowa pork producers.
The central Iowa meatpacking plant, which employees 95 people, had been running substantially below capacity and losing money for several years,î John Morrell president Joseph B. Sebring said in a statement. John Morrell is a wholly owned subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, Inc.
The company packaged roasts, chops, ribs, diced and ground specialty items and tenderloins. Dave Moody, president-elect of the Iowa Pork Producers Association and a pork producer from Nevada in Story County, said he could not speculate as to why Morrell decided to proceed with the closure.
“It’s always sad to see a business shut down, particularly a pork processor. Iowa Quality Meats was once a very successful business and it’s unfortunate that it will apparently close,î” he said.
John Lawrence, an agriculture economist at Iowa State University, said since the plant was owned by Smithfield, he believes the work carried out at the Clive location will be moved to another plant.
Company officials said they are considering alternate uses for the plant at 2075 NW 92nd Court. Iowa Quality Meats was established in 1980 in Ames by Logan Clemow and Bud Nichol.