| IBP | 800 Stevens Port Drive, Suite 836, Dakota City, NE 68731 |
| www.ibpinc.com | (605) 235-2061 Fax: (605) 235-2068 |
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Definitely not a vegetarian
In the mood for a fat, juicy steak? Or perhaps your taste runs a little wilder - pigs' feet and pork bellies? Either way, IBP, inc., the largest beef and second largest pork producer in the U.S., probably has what you're looking for. Based in Dakota City, South Dakota, the company employs 42,000 people in some 50 plants throughout North America. While it is based in the land of baseball and apple pie, IBP has sales offices in England, Japan, Taiwan, China, Korea, Russia, and Mexico.
Wow, that's a lot of products!
In addition to the usual cow carcass, IBP also specializes in the following treats: processed pork products, hides, meat-related pizza toppings, taco filling, cooked ham, pot roasts, deli meats, and others. For the record, the company is also a top supplier of pet food ingredients and gelatin bones (for camera film). IBP tends to work large-scale - with restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, meat distributors, and general wholesalers. An expert in all that is meat-related, IBP is also the world's largest hide tanner.
Boarish history
In 1960 Anderson and Currier Holman formed Iowa Beef Packers. They built factories in cattle-roaming rural areas, hired labor, and staffed the plants. In 1965, the company's employees organized a walk-out, citing a lack of benefits. This debacle set the stage for years of controversy. In the early 1970s, king-of-the-swine Currier Holman was convicted of bribery and mob protection against the union. Throughout the 1970s and the 1980s, IBP was fined and consistently investigated for attempting to monopolize the industry through multiple acquisitions. The microscopic digestion-destroyer E. coli also contributed to a number of lawsuits against the company.
Boss Hog on the butcher block
In 1987, IBP sold off 49 percent of the company to the public. Then, in 1990, the rest of the business was spun off to shareholders. But a change in ownership has done little to halt the company's trouble. In 1998, C&F, a packing company in Illinois, won almost $11 million after the court found that IBP had stolen its pizza-topping process.
In 1999, a federal jury awarded additional millions to a woman who had worked at an IBP pork plant. She alleged that the company fostered discrimination and sexual harassment. Recent environmental quality control violations and more E. coli-tainted meat and have also hogged the company of money and credibility. In recent memory, IBP's one victory wasn't exactly a show-stopper. In 1998, a U.S. District Judge denied a request by cattlemen who wanted to certify a class action lawsuit against the company. The company is now also under fire from the Environmental Protection Agency which accuses IBP of substantial pollution. In happier news, IBP is reopening two of its meat plants in Texas and Nebraska, creating 2,500 jobs.
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IBP's job openings are listed on its home page at www.ibpinc.com. For more information, e-mail the Human Resources department at ContactIBP@ibpinc.com. Aching for a position as a Carcass Merchandiser? The company offers opportunities in this field, as well as in Accounting, Design Drafting, Engineering, Human Resources, Industrial Engineering, Information Technology, Livestock Procurement, Production Management, Production Scheduling, Purchasing, Quality Assurance, Sales, and Transportation. The company recruits at schools such as the University of Arizona, Louisiana State, and Texas A&M. Interested candidates should check the company's site for scheduled college visits and internship opportunities. Applicants can also call (800) 416-0772 x 3250 for further hiring information.
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"Hogwash," they say
In the mood for meaty details? Insiders attest that "IBP has not been fairly represented in the press" and that the company truly is "fair in the treatment of its employees." One sow-satisfied informant remarks, "it's highly stimulating to go to work every day." Another calls the atmosphere "highly promotable" and "thick with morale." Yet most admit that the pay varies drastically between "job classes." Employees who have "more responsibility earn much higher salaries." With job advancement, insiders add, "comes the raise."
Sow what?
While insiders are mildly enthused by the company's new non-meat lines, they confess that the company's "very traditional, conservative" environment can be stifling. Piggy-backing this idea, one contact says, "I don't like the full business dress, although we can 'dress down' for plant visits on Saturdays (Saturdays are mandatory 1/2 days during most weeks of the winter months)."
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Human Resources
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Processed beef products;Processed pork products;Beef carcasses;Cooked meats;Hides;Pizza toppings;Taco meat; Others
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