Safety is our top priority
By Scott Pohlman, General Manager, Cargill Friona
Good afternoon and welcome. Thank you for joining us as we gather here on this great day to celebrate 50 years of Cargill beef in the Friona, Texas community. My name is Scott Pohlman and I am the general manager of Cargill’s Friona beef facility.
Our plant opened its doors in May of 1968 after forward thinking members of the Friona Chamber of Commerce Industrial Committee such as A.L. Black, Andy Hurst and Dr. Lloyd Shackleford enticed Missouri Beef Packers to build what was then the largest single line packing plant in America. That was over 50 years ago. What makes 50 years of successful beef plant operations possible? It is the people. Every day, I have the privilege of working with a team of some of the most hard-working and talented people in the beef industry. Our employees represent diverse backgrounds, cultures and experiences yet we come together daily as one big family. We laugh with each other, take care of each other and celebrate each other.
We know the work that goes on within our facility is not easy. We dedicate a lot of time and resources to keep safety the top priority in everything we do. Our commitment to protecting people is woven into the cultural fabric of our core values, not only here in Friona, but globally throughout Cargill. Both employee and food safety are the top priorities for all of us and that will never change. The beef that is produced at the Friona facility is the beef I feed my family and it is beef we are all proud to say we had a hand in.
I know firsthand what it takes to get that food on dinner tables – and a lot of that work happens here. Our jobs require training, skill and meeting customer expectations – we’re responsible for handling hundreds of thousands of pounds of beef daily that eventually becomes food for people around the world as well as families. Our role in delivering safe and nutritious beef is important, and we take a lot of pride in that.
It takes the support of our families, many of whom are here celebrating with us today, and it takes a unique community to enable the success Cargill has seen in Friona for 50 years. The values, strong work ethic and eagerness to develop and grow are engrained in this community and validated within our walls.
I have had the pleasure of working at Friona for over 15 years, and I know this area is a great place to live and work.
Friona and the surrounding communities are home to many of our employees. It’s home for our families and friends. Today, as we reach a major milestone in Cargill’s history, I am proud to celebrate with all of you, our families, friends and neighbors in the community, who have made it home. Thank you.
