Maple Leaf’s Brandon hog plant hits initial targets

(Resource News International) — The implementation of a second shift at Maple
Leaf’s pork plant at Brandon, Man., is
still underway but so far the process has been successful,
according to Jeanette Jones, director of communications for
Maple Leaf Foods.

In September, Maple Leaf began a second front-end shift at its existing state-of-the-art primary
processing plant in Brandon as part of its
restructuring plans.

The consolidation of Maple Leaf’s pork
processing began in June, when its Mitchell’s Gourmet Foods plant at Saskatoon closed its doors. That was followed in October by
the closure of a processing plant in Winnipeg. The
combined processing capacity of the plants was 30,000 to
37,000 hogs per week.

Maple Leaf’s targets for the first phase of the second
shift at Brandon was to process 75,000 hogs per week by November and
according to Jones, those initial targets were met.

“The introduction of the second shift has gone really
well, all of our targets were achieved and it’s gone
seamlessly. From the recruitment of the employees, to
processing the supply of hogs,” Jones said.

“The plant is producing 15,000 hogs per day or 75,000
hogs per week.”

This compares with last year’s processing
figures of roughly 50,000 hogs per week, Jones estimated.

In order to staff the second shift Maple Leaf brought in,
and continues to bring in, foreign workers from a number of
countries. So far 500 workers have arrived and 1,168 more are
expected between the fall of 2007 and the summer of 2009.

Maple Leaf’s decision to bring in foreign workers reflects the
labour shortage problems currently facing the Canadian
livestock industry.

According to Jones, the foreign workers expected to
arrive over the next two years will allow Maple Leaf to
achieve the second half of its second shift targets.

“We haven’t completed the full second shift from the
stand point of the back-end processing as well. At this point
in time it’s just the front end,” Jones explained. “We’ve been
working with Human Resources and Development Canada on
bringing in foreign workers and that process will continue
until 2009 when we complete the full second shift operation.

“I believe the capacity for processing will still be
75,000 but it’s going to include cutting the pork. I think
ultimately we’ll get to 85,000 but I don’t believe that is
necessarily a target for 2009.”

In regards to Maple Leaf’s restructuring plans, Jones
said, “we have domestic and international markets and that will
continue. But we’re moving away from pork that is merely
traded as a commodity to value-added pork according to the
customer’s needs and wishes.”

Not only has Maple Leaf’s re-structuring gone well but
according to Sandy Trudel, economic development officer for
Economic Development Brandon, the integration of the foreign
workers required to staff the second shift has also been
succesful.

“From the foreign worker perspective, it has helped us to
diversify, bring in younger families with more children. It’s
also bringing a whole new level of cultural opportunities.”

Trudel applauded Maple Leaf for its willingness to work
so closely with the city of Brandon to ensure its extra
workers are welcomed and integrated successfully.

She acknowledged that the addition of a second shift is
placing pressure on Brandon just as sizeable growth in any
city would. Issues such as housing shortages, daycare
shortages and language capacity will need to be addressed as
Brandon continues welcoming more foreign workers and their
families over the coming years.

Trudel emphasized, however, that these growth-related
issues also come with economic opportunity and positive
momentum.

So far, El Salvadorans account for the largest number of
foreign workers in Brandon, followed by the Chinese, Trudel
said. The number of Chinese workers is expected to rise
however, in the next two years to roughly the same level as
the El Salvadoran numbers. Smaller groups of Columbians and
Mexicans also account for a component of the foreign workers.

Trudel said she is optimistic about Brandon’s ability to
retain the workers and their families.

“We don’t view Brandon at all as a transitional hub,
we’re basing all of our planning and service delivery on the
fact that these individuals will remain here and call this
home.”