Cargill To Sell Ozark Plant
by February 17, 2003 12:00 am 249 views
Cargill Turkey Products, headquartered in Springdale, announced on Feb. 4 it would sell its integrated turkey production facility in Ozark to ConAgra Foods Inc. of Omaha, Neb.
The deal, expected to close on March 14, will also include a feed mill in Alix. The processing facility is 60,000 SF. ConAgra will assume Cargill’s grower contracts.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“ConAgra Foods is a well-respected, well-run business,” John O’Carroll, president of Cargill Turkey Products, said in a news release. “Combining the Ozark turkey operation with ConAgra’s existing turkey facilities will offer excellent opportunities for Ozark’s employees, growers, suppliers and customers.”
Cargill Turkey Products, a division of Minneapolis-based Cargill Inc., has turkey processing plants in Springdale; California, Mo.; Waco, Texas; Dayton, Ohio; Timberville, Va.; and St. Pauls, N.C. The company processed 60 million turkeys in 2002, including whole birds and tray-pack turkeys. Among its premium brands of turkey are Honeysuckle White, Plantation and Shady Brook Farms. Cargill Turkey Products employs 5,200 people.
“Producing Butterball turkey products in Ozark will allow us to upgrade our production process and improve our competitive position in the marketplace,” said Bob Wright, president of ConAgra Foods’ turkey business unit. “