As Albert Lea looks to its next suitor, it is important to remember two things, city leaders say: Nothing is certain, and hope is good.

These are the two messages that came from the city council after the news that a large meat-industry company is looking at Albert Lea for their corporate headquarters and hog-slaughtering operation.

&uot;Any hope is good for our city at this point,&uot; Councilor George Marin said. &uot;Albert Lea has suffered some very tough blows.&uot;

Information about the company or its plans is being well guarded, but Marin said he’s happy the possibility has gone public.

&uot;I’m very pleased with the openness,&uot; he said. &uot;I think the more open we can be with the people of Albert Lea the more we’ll be endeared to them.&uot;

The company’s interest, according to Mayor Jean Eaton, would be to build a 120,000 square foot facility that would employ up to 2,000.

Eaton said the facility would be much like Hormel is for Austin, with 300 of the jobs being corporate and office positions. Austin’s Hormel facilities currently employ 1,600.

Eaton said such a facility would likely be too large to fit at either the old Farmland site in the center of town or the Habben industrial park, off of Highway 65 and Interstate 35 &045; the site once reserved for a new Farmland plant.

There are few areas in the city that are large enough for such a plant. Areas along the south side of town, near I-35 have a great deal of open space, but have yet to be developed in some areas.

Eaton said the company is just inquiring and looking to see how the community would react to having a meat industry in town. The city has no information about what wages would be paid or a possible timeline, and the name of the company has not been released yet.

&uot;At this point we’re are just being asked if there is interest,&uot; Eaton said. &uot;We just need to know how the public really feels about this.&uot;

Councilor Randy Erdman said he feels good about it.

&uot;I think it’s positive that people are looking at us, whoever it may be,&uot; he said.

He said he thought Albert Lea was a candidate because it is based in an agricultural state and has an economy that has some dependency on farming. He said that having something a lot like Hormel in Albert Lea would be a strong addition to the economy.

&uot;If they are going to put a corporate headquarters here, that’d be great,&uot; he said. However, he added added, &uot;At this point, it’s all speculation.&uot;