Butte’s in line for pork plant

Hog processing company considers technology park

A pork company is considering Butte for a large-scale, high-tech hog processing plant.

Montana Pork Co. might build a plant capable of processing 500 hogs an hour — and providing about 150 initial jobs — in the Silicon Mountain Technology Park at Silver Bow, said spokesman R. Michael Sato.

The hogs would come from Hutterite colonies throughout Montana.

“We wanted to build a plant central … to the hog production,” said Sato, of California’s Silicon Valley. “Additionally, (Butte) had the vision to work with us to build the state-of-the-art plant.” Montana Pork — a subsidiary of DMH Agri-Company — initially eyed Ranchland Packing and the Safeway warehouse for a plant. But the technology park offers an out-of-town location and incentives.

By Erin Nicholes of The Montana Standard

Full Story: http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2005/10/08/newsbutte/hjjeijjbjcghfd.txt