Sausage in motion

摘要

Last year was another big-news year for the US sausage industry. Besides the never-ending stream of new sausage introductions entering the marketplace in 2013, many sausage companies added to their assets last year while others opted to tighten up their operations. Smithfield Foods Inc. acquired a 50 percent interest in Kansas City Sausage Company LLC (KCS), for $35.0 million in cash in May 2013 (fiscal 2014). Smithfield intends to merge KCS's operations and products with its brands and sales and marketing team to continue to grow its packaged meats business. The venture operates in Des Moines, Iowa -where KCS's parent company, Pine Ridge Farms is based, and Kansas City, Mo. In Des Moines, the venture will produce premium raw materials for sausage, as well as value-added products, including boneless hams and hides. The Kansas City plant is a modern sausage-processing facility designed for optimum efficiency.