Officials from Farmland Foods told employees Friday the fire-damaged pork plant that has such a long history in Albert Lea is out of commission for a year or more and may be damaged beyond repair.

Saturday, July 14, 2001

Officials from Farmland Foods told employees Friday the fire-damaged pork plant that has such a long history in Albert Lea is out of commission for a year or more and may be damaged beyond repair.

&uot;I recognize you would like a definitive answer on the future of the plant today, but we simply cannot make a decision until we understand what kind of damage the structure sustained,&uot; said Farmland Food President George Richter during an employee meeting at Albert Lea High School. &uot;One thing we are sure of is that there will be no production at the facility for the next 12-18 months.&uot;

Richter promised to let employees know the company’s decision on the future of the plant within 90 days when a formal structural analysis will be available from engineers.

&uot;If we do rebuild, Albert Lea would be given consideration – a very biased consideration based on economics,&uot; he said.

Richter said employees received their final paychecks, plus accrued vacation and holiday pay. Many will have opportunities to work at other Farmland facilities, he added.

With smoke still drifting from the plant, Richter said crews from a private Twin Cities contractor and a few firefighters are trying to extinguish lingering hot spots deep within the damaged structure. A 150-foot crane arrived Friday night to begin demolition of the burned-out structure.

&uot;The devastation is horrible, when you look at the facility,&uot; Richter said. &uot;The infrastructure damage that has taken place is unbelievable.&uot;

Heat stress from the two-day fire has compromised walls and roofs, and clean-up will have to wait until engineers deem the structure secure, Richter said.

Some employees will be needed for clean-up and salvage efforts, but only when the building is safe, Richter said.

&uot;Safety is our top priority. We won’t be sending people into that structure until we know it is absolutely safe to do so,&uot; he said.

Some pieces of food-processing equipment may be salvageable, Richter said, but due to water and smoke contamination, most will require refurbishment from the manufacturer.

Though no specific damage estimate is available, Richter said the damage will be &uot;in the tens of millions of dollars.&uot;