Pork Leadership Institute Visits Processing, Cold Storage Facilities

The Pork Leadership Institute (PLI) combines curriculums from National Pork Board and National Pork Producers Council leadership programs to create comprehensive training designed to develop future pork industry leaders. Upon graduation, participants better understand the roles of the two organizations and have developed the skills necessary to lead an ever-changing pork industry.

Earlier this week, PLI participants toured Clougherty Packing Company, a subsidiary of Hormel located in Los Angeles. The facility has a processing capacity of 7,000 hogs per day and is well-known for its Farmer John line of pork products. Farmer John has been providing fresh, high-quality pork items since 1931.

Following the Clougherty Packing Company tour, the team visited Preferred Freezer Services in Wilmington, Calif. John Zarrella, sales manager for Preferred Freezer, provided an overview of the company, which began providing cold storage services in 1989. The company has since expanded into one of the largest public refrigerated warehouse companies in North America with 27 facilities and 1,300 employees. Zarrella informed the PLI team that Preferred Freezer Services has also expanded into the international market with a presence in both China and Vietnam. Zarrella also discussed the importance of U.S. pork exports to his business and thanked pork producers for their commitment to international marketing.