Recognizing Ten Years of Operations at Premium Standard Farms' Milan Processing Facility

RECOGNIZING TEN YEARS OF OPERATIONS AT PREMIUM STANDARD FARMS' MILAN PROCESSING FACILITY -- (Extensions of Remarks - September 24, 2004)

Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize the Premium Standard Farms Milan Processing Facility. On September 19, 2004 Premium Standard Farms celebrated 10 years since the Milan plant first began operations. When the plant began its operations in 1994, there were only 200 employees. Today, the Milan facility employs more than 900 people and produces more than one million pounds of fresh pork per day.

The Premium Standard Farms Milan Processing Facility has received numerous awards since 1994. Just last year, the plant was named 2003 Food Plant of the Year by Refrigerated and Frozen Foods magazine. This prestigious award recognizes the company's exceptional record for not only food safety, but worker safety as well. Premium Standard Farms sets high standards to provide an all around safe product. During 3 of the last 4 years, employees at the facility have worked over one million combined hours without a lost-time accident of any kind, a feat that many plants have not achieved even once. This spring, the Milan Processing Facility received the American Meat Institute's highest safety award: the Award of Honor. The Award of Honor is presented to those facilities that demonstrate continuous improvement in safety, based on criteria administered by the National Safety Council. Only 1 percent of U.S. slaughter plants receive this honor.

Mr. Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in congratulating Premium Standard Farms on 10 years of safe and productive operations at the Milan Processing Facility.