In June, our Southwest Initiative Foundation Board of Directors heard from leaders in Worthington about the MANY positive things happening in this regional center.
Two major employers are making a global impact on the pork industry from right here in southwest Minnesota. We welcomed leaders from Newport Laboratories and JBS to share a more detailed look at their companies.
Newport Laboratories manager Dan Greve shared an overview of the company’s history and expansion. Newport Laboratories was founded in 1997 by local veterinarians and is the largest custom made vaccine manufacturer in the U.S. A vet provides a tissue sample of a farmer’s herd, the lab separates the bacteria and makes a vaccine for it, and in 6-12 weeks the vaccine is shipped directly to the farmer and ready to administer. About 60 percent of their business is for swine vaccines.
JBS, a pork processing company, is Worthington’s largest employer providing about 2,300 jobs. Human resource manager Jenny Anderson Martinez shared other impressive statistics. JBS harvests about 20,500 hogs per day. That’s 300+ trucks! These hogs consume about $65 million of grain per year, so the company is impacting agriculture in many ways. Employees represent 40 countries and speak 50+ languages.
Both Dan and Jenny commented on how Worthington is a great place to live and work—but isn’t always given the recognition it deserves. The community is facing major challenges around water, housing, and workforce shortages. But, they have been successful at investing in people who already are there.
I’m so impressed by the inclusive and collaborative approach of this southwest Minnesota community!