Manitoba Chamber of Commerce
Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/97063
Midwest High on the Hog HyLife Foods plant sparks Neepawa population boom by Holli Moncrieff W innipeg turned up its nose at a hog processing plant five years ago, but Neepawa residents didn't raise an eyebrow when pork producer HyLife Ltd. set up shop in their town instead. "We were used to a hog plant being here," says Neepawa Mayor Ken Waddell. HyLife, founded in La Broquerie in 1994, took over the former Hutterite colony-run Springfield Farms facility in February, 2008, and renamed it HyLife Foods. In the process, the company sparked a population boom. Waddell says census numbers had been stable at 3,200 since the 1950s. But HyLife attracted workers and their families from Ukraine, the Philippines and Korea. He estimates the population stands at about 4,200 today, with 600 more people — most family members of HyLife employees — expected to arrive next summer. HyLife Foods general manager Guy Baudry says the plant workforce has more than doubled to 770 from about 310 in 2008. With a growing management team, the payroll is expected to reach about 900. 42 MBiz November 2012 Hog farmers have been hit hard by high feed prices, due to drought in the U.S., and prices are expected to remain high until next fall. HyLife, which produces 1.4 million hogs per year, isn't immune, but it's well-positioned to weather industry storms. Its Fast Genetics arm sells pig genetics throughout North America and the Neepawa plant, which serves international markets, adds another buffering layer of diversification. The company also benefits from strong support in the community. Waddell says Neepawa residents have welcomed the newcomers with open arms. "The reaction has been 99% positive. Occasionally you hear mumbling about the immigrants taking jobs from Canadians, but HyLife tried very hard for over a year to populate their production line with Canadian workers, and they simply couldn't do it," he says. "Whenever I hear a comment like that, I just brush it aside and don't pay attention and I think most people do the same." The new arrivals have been a boon for local businesses, with grocery stores, pharmacies, retail shops and banks seeing a substantial increase in their bottom line.