Simplot Investing $460-Million to Double Production in Portage

Feb 15, 2018

A major announcement for the Portage la Prairie area was made Wednesday morning at the JR Simplot plant, just west of the city.

The company is investing $460,000,000 to expand the facility and double production.

Premier Brian Pallister says he's tremendously pleased people are investing in the province.

"Obviously, growing up in this area of the province, of course I'm excited for this area," he says, "We have seen some hardships here. We lost a number of major employers a number of years ago, and so seeing the province on the way back up, and my home community, and the central part of the province come back, is really satisfying."

RM of Portage Reeve Kam Blight says a lot of effort went into this and is enthused to have Simplot decide to expand here.

"And we're just starting to wrap our heads around what it's really going to mean for our joint community, and the province of Manitoba. It's just nice to have a company such as Simplot recognize the value of our municipalities."

Portage Mayor Irvine Ferris is impressed with the enthusiasm of the people who were at the announcement.

"It says to me that we've got some very, very good partners," he says, "First of all, I think people know that we've had a long-term partnership with the RM of Portage, and of course, we also have a partnership with the province. We could not have done this without our partnerships."

Simplot President and CEO Bill Whittaker stresses a commitment like this is generational, and the large number of people at the announcement is a positive sign.

"What's particularly interesting to me is to feel the energy in the room for this project," he says, "And know that we're wanted, and everybody does what they say they're going to do."

Source : Steinbachonline

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.