It seems everyone has an opinion about a beef plant in Manitoba . . .

Stan Eby
Former CCA President

“I think the premise of what they want to do is good but they also have to step back and hire a strong manager and let him manage it.
The processing business is working on very slim margins and you have to give the manager full authority to make it work.
And if it’s a cooperative, too many directors want to micromanage, but as good governors you hire a manager and Directors set policy they don’t get involved in operations.”
Harvey Harland
Councillor on MCEC

“I believe whether or not the other provinces have plants that are working below capacity that we need a plant for this province.
The Asian contribution seems to be interested and the Kosher and Halal people are interested as well, I think it has a very good chance of being successful.
In Winnipeg, close to the airport for international marketing, I think is a plus. Initially a lot of the cull cattle will be from the dairy industry in the Red River Valley. We don’t have to haul these cattle too far.
I have always been of the belief that we need to have one major federally inspected plant in Manitoba.

John Gillespie
Chairman of BIC

“They are pretty small potatoes. I don’t think the marketplace will allow them to survive. The margins are that tight, you have to be of critical mass, I don’t think they’ll get enough volume. Even our plants have a tough time competing against those American prices for the meat. All those grocery chains just buy from the lowest seller, that’s their job. I don’t think they’ll sell much into Ontario; we tend to buy select beef in Ontario, and as a result we are more than willing to buy that lower priced grade.