John Morrell to Build DistributionCenter in Hancock County, Adding Hundreds of New Jobs

Indy Chamber News Archives

GREENFIELD, Ind. (Feb. 11, 2015) – John Morrell Food Group, the oldest continuously-operating meat manufacturer in the country, announced plans today to locate a distribution center here, creating up to 260 new jobs by the end of 2016.

“John Morrell’s newest hub for logistics is coming to the Crossroads of America,” said Governor Mike Pence. “Indiana’s central U.S. location and expansive logistics network, with thousands of railway miles and more pass-through interstates than any other state in the nation, makes Indiana the ideal base for companies like John Morrell that serve customers across the country.”

The company will invest $43.5 million to build and equip a meat products distribution center, scheduled to begin operations by the end of this year. John Morrell, an independent operating company of Smithfield Foods, has 17 manufacturing facility across the country, including a plant in Peru, Ind.

“We’re looking forward to beginning operations in our state-of-the-art facility in Hancock County, Indiana later this year and becoming active in that community,” said Scott Saunders, chief financial officer of John Morrell. “Both John Morrell and our parent company, Smithfield Foods, are strong believers in being good neighbors and giving back to the communities where we live, work and raise our families.” 

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) offered John Morrell & Company up to $1,500,000 in conditional tax credits based on the company's job creation plans. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The IEDC will also provide the community with up to $250,000 in infrastructure assistance from the state's Industrial Development Grant Fund. Hancock County approved additional tax abatement at the request of the Hancock Economic Development Council.

“We are thrilled that John Morrell chose the Hancock County, Indiana site for their refrigerated facility in the Access 70 Business Park,” said Bill Bolander, president of the Hancock County Council. “John Morrell is a 180 year old company specializing in meats, including pork, ham and bacon products. This project became a reality because of the efforts of the board and team of the Hancock Economic Development Council.”

About John Morrell Food Group

The John Morrell Food Group, a member of the Smithfield Foods family of companies, traces its roots to the founding of John Morrell & Co. in England in 1827. The company is the oldest continuously operating meat manufacturer in the United States. It consists of national and regional brands that help drive profitable growth in meat categories such as ham, smoked sausage, hot dogs, deli meats, bacon, pulled pork and dry sausage. With brands that define the meat industry, theJohn Morrell Food Group brings its expertise to retail, deli, foodservice, direct store delivery, convenience store, club store, military and co-manufacturing outlets.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield^®, Eckrich^®, Farmland^®, Armour^®, Cook’s^®, Gwaltney^®, John Morrell^®, Kretschmar^®, Curly’s^®, Carando^®, Margherita^®, and Healthy Ones^®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental, and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and www.smithfieldcommitments.com.

About IEDC

Created in 2005 to replace the former Department of Commerce, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation is governed by a 12-member board chaired by Governor Mike Pence. Victor Smith serves as the Indiana Secretary of Commerce and Eric Doden is the president of the IEDC.

The IEDC oversees programs enacted by the General Assembly including tax credits, workforce training grants and public infrastructure assistance. All tax credits are performance-based. Therefore, companies must first invest in Indiana through job creation or capital investment before incentives are paid. A company who does not meet its full projections only receives a percentage of the incentives proportional to its actual investment. For more information about IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov.

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Media Contacts:

Keira Lombardo (John Morrell) – [email protected]

Katelyn Prentice (IEDC) – 317.234.2294 or [email protected]