Tai Shin's Pleasant Hope plant nears delayed opening

Taiwan-based pork processor Tai Shin Foods & Frozen Industrial Co. is opening its only U.S. plant in the small Polk County community of Pleasant Hope. The plant was originally supposed to open in 2001, leading many to wonder about the delay.

Once in full swing, the 74,000-square-foot facility will slaughter and package up to 2,000 swine a day. Plant Manager Todd Mowery said the plant at 5305 Highway H would start with about 250 employees processing about 500 hogs a day, with a scale-up to 300 employees and full operations taking about a year.

Because of the operational delay, rumors persist that Tai Shin has run out of money and that Buffalo’s Petit Jean Poultry is looking to buy the plant.

Mowery said that’s untrue. Petit Jean Poultry Plant Manager Frank Sanderson confirmed Mowery’s story.

“It’s never been discussed,” Sanderson said.

Another rumor, not as much connected to the delayed opening, is that Tai Shin has developed either on-site or off-site housing for employees. Again, not true, though Mowery said the idea was discussed.

So, why a five-year delay?

Ambition.

The original plan was to only refurbish the 18,000-square-foot former beef processing plant, which was vacant for six years when Tai Shin bought it. President James Hsu and officials had planned on phasing-in plant additions.

After construction began, however, Tai Shin decided to build the entire facility before opening so it wouldn’t need to face operational shutdowns for expansions.

“They decided to go ahead and make it to full capacity for what they wanted to kill,” Mowery said.

Principal construction wrapped May 1. Mowery said he’s assembling his staff through Penmac Personnel Services Inc. while a Taiwanese contractor uses local laborers to clean up a few loose ends.

“Right now, they’re just taking a little bit of time to get everything organized,” Mowery said.

Rick Davis, Pleasant Hope public works director, said Tai Shin has installed its own utilities and placed the plant outside city limits, so he and other city officials have very little contact with the company.

Tai Shin will sell its pork products in the U.S., Japan and Taiwan.[[In-content Ad]]