Smithfield Packing Company: Difference between revisions

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As of 2012, Smithfield Packing employed about 12,500 people and has sales of about $4 billion.<ref name="ShaprioDaily">{{cite news |last1=Shapiro |first1=Michael Welles |title=Smithfield Packing to close Maryland ham plant |url=https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-20130316-2013-03-16-dp-nws-smithfield-plant-closure-20130316-story.html |accessdate=26 September 2019 |work=The Daily Press |publisher=The Daily Press Media Group |date=16 March 2013}}</ref>
As of 2012, Smithfield Packing employed about 12,500 people and has sales of about $4 billion.<ref name="ShaprioDaily">{{cite news |last1=Shapiro |first1=Michael Welles |title=Smithfield Packing to close Maryland ham plant |url=https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-20130316-2013-03-16-dp-nws-smithfield-plant-closure-20130316-story.html |accessdate=26 September 2019 |work=The Daily Press |publisher=The Daily Press Media Group |date=16 March 2013}}</ref>


In November 2012, Smithfield Packing began the process of shutting down a plant in [[Portsmouth, Virginia]] that made [[Hot dog|hot dogs]] and [[Deli meats|deli meats]] and moving it to [[Kinston, North Carolina]].<ref name="ShaprioDaily" /> This closure affected about 425 workers. Transfers to other plants were offered to some workers. The company negotiated with the plant's union regarding the terms of any chances for further employment. The company provided proper notice under the [[Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act]] and referred affected workers to state agencies for assistance. The Portsmouth plant was designed and built in the 1970s and could not be adapted to developing technological needs of the meat-packing industry.<ref name="PortClose">{{cite news |author1=Staff |title=Smithfield Packing to consolidate packaged meats production and close Portsmouth, Va. Plant |work=The National Provisioner |publisher=BNP Media |date=10 November 2011}}</ref>
In November 2012, Smithfield Packing began the process of shutting down a plant in [[Portsmouth, Virginia]] that made [[Hot dog|hot dogs]] and [[Deli meats|deli meats]] and moving it to [[Kinston, North Carolina]].<ref name="ShaprioDaily" /> This closure affected about 425 workers. Transfers to other plants were offered to some workers. The company negotiated with the plant's union regarding the terms of any chances for further employment. The company provided proper notice under the [[Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act]] and referred affected workers to state agencies for assistance. The Portsmouth plant was designed and built in the 1970s and could not be adapted to the needs of the modern meat-packing industry.<ref name="PortClose">{{cite news |author1=Staff |title=Smithfield Packing to consolidate packaged meats production and close Portsmouth, Va. Plant |work=The National Provisioner |publisher=BNP Media |date=10 November 2011}}</ref>


In March 2013, Smithfield Packing announced the closure of a [[bone-in ham]] plant located in [[Landover, Maryland]]. The company said it would attempt to employ the affected workers at other locations.<ref name="ShaprioDaily" />
In March 2013, Smithfield Packing announced the closure of a [[bone-in ham]] plant located in [[Landover, Maryland]]. The company said it would attempt to employ the affected workers at other locations.<ref name="ShaprioDaily" />

Revision as of 12:21, 13 February 2020

The Smithfield Packing Company sells meat products such as ham, ground pork, pork chops, bacon, and lunch meat. It sells its products worldwide. The company was founded in 1936. It is based in Smithfield, Virginia. It is part of Smithfield Foods which is in turn a subsidiary of WH Group.[1][2][3]

History

The firm was founded on September 16, 1936, in Smithfield, Virginia and was originally known as the Luter Packing Company. Joe Luter and his son Joe Luter II, both experienced meatpackers, founded the firm together. The senior Luter was born in Ivor town in Southampton County, Virginia in 1879. Joe Luter's grandson, Joe Luter III, would go on to lead the company decades later.[3]

Smithfield, Virginia was known for its pork products as early as the 18th Century. Isle of Wight bacon and Smithfield ham were its most famous products. In 1926, a law was passed, making it illegal to refer to any pork not processed within Smithfield's boundaries as "Smithfield ham." Luter and his son started curing Smithfield hams and selling them to small stores located nearby.[3]

Smithfield Packing opened a large facility in Tar Heel, North Carolina in 1992. The company offered thousands of workers in impoverished Bladen County hourly pay double the federal minimum wage. As of 2018, the size of the Tar Heel plant had about 973,000 square feet in floor area.[3]

As of 2012, Smithfield Packing employed about 12,500 people and has sales of about $4 billion.[2]

In November 2012, Smithfield Packing began the process of shutting down a plant in Portsmouth, Virginia that made hot dogs and deli meats and moving it to Kinston, North Carolina.[2] This closure affected about 425 workers. Transfers to other plants were offered to some workers. The company negotiated with the plant's union regarding the terms of any chances for further employment. The company provided proper notice under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act and referred affected workers to state agencies for assistance. The Portsmouth plant was designed and built in the 1970s and could not be adapted to the needs of the modern meat-packing industry.[4]

In March 2013, Smithfield Packing announced the closure of a bone-in ham plant located in Landover, Maryland. The company said it would attempt to employ the affected workers at other locations.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Smithfield Packing Co Inc/The". Bloomberg. Bloomberg, L.P. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d Shapiro, Michael Welles (16 March 2013). "Smithfield Packing to close Maryland ham plant". The Daily Press. The Daily Press Media Group. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d Waltz, Lynn (2018). Hog Wild: The Battle For Worker Rights At The World's Largest Slaughterhouse. Iowa City, Iowa: University of Iowa Press.
  4. ^ Staff (10 November 2011). "Smithfield Packing to consolidate packaged meats production and close Portsmouth, Va. Plant". The National Provisioner. BNP Media.

External links