August 7, 2006

Foster Farms to consolidate operations

Foster Farms announced the closure of its plant in Creswell, Washington and consolidate its remaining Northwest chicken processing operations to Kelso, Washington.

The company's chicken waste rendering plant would remain operational until a similar rendering facility can be built in Kelso.

California-based Foster Farms purchased the Creswell operations in 1987 and have faced troubling times in recent years.

The plant shed 130 jobs in 1998 and nearly half its workforce in 2001.

Creswell plant manager Al Acosta said the Creswell plant's days have been numbered since Foster Farms built a new processing facility in Kelso.

Foster Farms, one of the largest chicken processing companies in the US, also has processing plants in Fresno and Livingston, Californina.

The Creswell closure had been part of the plan for the past eight years, Acosta said.

By building the Kelso facility, the company is consolidating operations at the smaller plants it has acquired, he said.