Jennie-O Turkey Store Begins Construction of New Plant

Construction began this month on a new state-of-the-art Jennie-O Turkey Store processing plant in Melrose, Minn. More than $137 million will be invested in the building and state-of-the-art processing equipment that will increase the production capabilities and plant efficiency, in addition to enhancing the company’s animal handling practices.

“This investment shows the company’s commitment to provide the best processing experience for our growers and to meet our customer needs,” says Glenn Leitch, president at Jennie-O Turkey Store. “The new equipment will enhance our animal handling practices and the increased automation will improve people safety.”

The new plant is being built in Melrose to replace an existing company plant located in that city, and will have the capacity for increased production, depending on customer demands.

“Jennie-O Turkey Store has had a long-standing relationship with the city of Melrose,” says Leitch. “Melrose has been and will continue to be a great place for our company and our team to grow and prosper. We appreciate the support that the city of Melrose has shown us in getting this project off the ground.”

The current plant will remain in operation during the construction process. Once the new  plant is finished in early 2019, the existing plant will be partially torn down and the remainder will be used for further value-added products.

Jennie-O Turkey Store, based in Willmar, Minn., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hormel Foods and is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer-branded meat products. The company leverages its extensive expertise, innovation and high competencies in turkey processing and marketing to bring branded, value-added products to the global marketplace.