Thread: MI: Boar's Head Meats has ESL classes

Boar's Head plant plans expansion in Holland Township
by Chronicle News Service
Wednesday March 19, 2008, 2:32 AM

HOLLAND TOWNSHIP — For the second time in three years, Boar's Head Provisions Co. Inc. is expanding its Holland Township operation.
Chronicle News Service/Mark CopierBoar's Head employee Silvia Juarez prepares to slice smoked turkey meat to fill an order in the Holland Township manufacturing facility company deli store.

The $24 million expansion is the biggest investment yet for the facility and will generate 240 new jobs the next two to five years.

The work ethic of the plant's nearly 600 employees along with the local and state economic development package convinced the company to grow again at 284 Roost Ave. instead of in Forrest City, Ark., said Chris Antrup, plant manager.

"The bottom line is the plant has performed extremely well," he said.

The state's struggling economy and a high unemployment rate -- 7.1 percent seasonally adjusted for January -- also persuaded the Sarasota, Fla.-based maker of premium deli meats and cheeses it wouldn't have difficulty finding more hard-working employees.

Boar's Head will receive more than $1.6 million Michigan Economic Growth Authority tax credits, which can be applied against the single business tax, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

The company also is hoping to get a 12-year break on local property taxes of $748,000 from the township, said Randy Thelen, president of the economic development organization Lakeshore Advantage.

The facility processes all the company's roast beef, corned beef and pastrami along with its Ovengold turkey meat.

The beef and turkey come from farms in Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin.

Boar's Head bought the former Henry House facility in 1999 at Antrup's suggestion.

He began working for Henry House in 1977, but left in 1990 after Tyson Foods Inc. acquired the firm.

Antrup launched Quincy Street Meats, but sold his share six years later. He then took a job with Boar's Head, which put him in charge of opening its Arkansas facility.

Three years later when the company was looking to expand, he suggested the Holland Township plant, which Tyson had closed.

Boar's Head opened in the facility in 2000 with 13 employees.

Since, the facility has undergone two expansions, including an $18.5 million, 2005 expansion with an upgrade for the wastewater pretreatment system and addition of a distribution center that created 115 new jobs.

The latest expansion will allow the company to increase weekly capacity by 750,000 pounds to 2.3 million. The company will spend $10 million for specialized equipment and $14 million in new construction, with a $500,000 federally funded Community Development Block Grant through MEDC for infrastructure improvements.

Antrup describes his Boar's Head employees as the best he has worked with in his 37-year-career.

At the plant, employees can take English-As-Second-Language or Spanish classes. Antrup -- along with his management team -- is learning Spanish.

Like Dunia Martinez, a 35-year-old Honduran immigrant, about 85 percent of the employees speak Spanish.

Turnover is in the single digits. That's because the company offers good wages, benefits and bonuses, she said.

Employees earn an average of more than $12 an hour, excluding benefits. Many eventually move into higher-paying skilled positions.

"A lot of people are looking for jobs here," she said, dressed in a uniform of a long white jacket, hair net and blue helmet, returning with her colleagues from break.
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"At the plant, employees can take English-As-Second-Language or Spanish classes. Antrup -- along with his management team -- is learning Spanish." (Quote from the first link below)

Boars Head has decided to assist in the invasion by teaching spanish to the few United States Citizens at their site and English as Second Language to their imported workers. One could wonder whose economic development Boars Head is concerned about, sounds as if it is the home Countries of their ILLEGALS and not the United States. At the very least if NOT ILLEGALS then they are importing non-citizens instead of furnishing jobs for United States Citizens. But if they were all English Speaking Citizens they would not "get" to waste money on their ESL program!

http://www.mlive.com/business/index.ssf ... pansi.html

http://www.boarshead.com/index.html

Very UN-American of them . Pure Hi-Jacking of American citizens in MI . I think it's time the Whites in MI pack it up and get out . Leave it to the Illegals and the 5 times a day pray guys .

Originally Posted by tencz57

Very UN-American of them . Pure Hi-Jacking of American citizens in MI . I think it's time the Whites in MI pack it up and get out . Leave it to the Illegals and the 5 times a day pray guys .

I think it's time for "white flight" to stop. Time to quit moving and hold their ground. It happened in Detroit and look at the state Detroit is in. It once was a beautiful, booming city. Then it was because of violence; but now we're talking about people who aren't even Americans and may be in this country illegally! Where does it stop?

ENFORCE THE LAWS NOW AND PROSECUTE ILLEGAL EMPLOYERS

Boar's Head will receive more than $1.6 million Michigan Economic Growth Authority tax credits, which can be applied against the single business tax, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

The company also is hoping to get a 12-year break on local property taxes of $748,000 from the township, said Randy Thelen, president of the economic development organization Lakeshore Advantage.

The latest expansion will allow the company to increase weekly capacity by 750,000 pounds to 2.3 million. The company will spend $10 million for specialized equipment and $14 million in new construction, with a $500,000 federally funded Community Development Block Grant through MEDC for infrastructure improvements

The company is getting:
$1.6 million in Michigan Economic Growth Authority Tax credits
$748,000 in a 12-year local property tax break
$500,000 federally funded Block grant

Like Dunia Martinez, a 35-year-old Honduran immigrant, about 85 percent of the employees speak Spanish.

Estimated 85% of the 600 employees speak Spanish. Are the employees legal or illegal immigrants?

Why does this company get all these advantages?

Boycott

Will buy select brand rather than Boar's Head.

Hope their employees are legal and have had health screens. Maybe we should ask them. Why should Americans have to learn Spanish.