Gardner will tour the plant's adult education classrooms and discuss continuing adult education initiatives. Representatives from Morgan Community College and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services will also be present at the event.
Ninety percent of the employee population working at Cargill’s Fort Morgan facility fall into minority categories. Some of them are refugees relocated to the US with support from the US State Department and other federal agencies.
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services works with federal agencies to help settle newcomers to the US. Cargill has collaborated with Morgan Community College and the city of Fort Morgan to help immigrants assimilate, the company said. Cargill provides to all Fort Morgan employees continuing education opportunities such as English as a second language, US citizenship and GED courses.
The Fort Morgan plant employs 2,000 people from nearly 20 nations, according to Cargill. The plant has the capacity to process 1.2 million head of cattle annually, or roughly 600 million lbs. of beef, the company said. Most of the cattle is sourced from within 150 miles of the facility. The plant produces beef and by-products that are sold throughout the US and exported to numerous foreign countries, including Japan, South Korea, Russia, Egypt, Canada, Mexico and the Philippines.
Cargill said 75 percent of the cattle harvested at Fort Morgan are for beef that goes into branded beef products and programs, and 20 percent of the cattle processed at Fort Morgan are done so using renewable energy.
