The Willmar (Minn.) City Council's Community Development Committee has approved a request from Jennie-O Turkey Store to vacate a portion the roadway in front of its headquarters and production plant for a possible expansion project. The company wants to expand the Jennie-O Turkey Store corporate offices as soon as the summer of 2014, and considering expanding the production plant northward across the roadway into a 27-acre tract in the new industrial park.
The committee approved a motion to recommend a public hearing on the vacation of the road be held on February 3. The Willmar City Council will also consider the recommendation on January 21, according to the West Central Tribune.
Steve Renquist, executive director of the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission, said the office expansion is a strong indicator that Hormel Foods, Jennie-O's parent company, is willing to allow Jennie-O to maintain its local offices rather than be combined with the Hormel Foods corporate headquarters in Austin, Texas.
