SIOUX FALLS, SD – Pipestone Systems, which began their Wholestone Farms project after acquiring the Hormel Foods processing facility in Fremont, NE, has announced plans to build a $500 million pork processing plant in Sioux Falls. Luke Minion with Pipestone Systems says they hope to open their new processing plant sometime in 2025.
The relatively new company, started in 2017, is a consortium of over 220 pork producers from South Dakota and Minnesota who collectively farm about 400,000 acres raising about 12 million pigs a year.
“A few years ago, farmers came together to try and capture more value,” said Minion. “We took that first big step in Fremont and are delighted with how things have progressed there. And now we’re taking the next step in Sioux Falls. I live here and couldn’t be more excited for our farmers and our community. I think it’s a great project.”
He says their Wholestone pork processing plant in Sioux Falls will process a lot of pigs a year. “The facility in Sioux Falls will be designed to be as monder as any hog processing facility in the world. The total output at its fully utilized capacity will be around six million pigs a year.”
Minion says they hope to begin construction next year and when finished will employ between 1100 to 1200 people on their first shift.
The earliest that construction will begin is 2022,” said Minion. “It’s a two and half to three year project. There is a lot to plan for and it will take us three years to get there.”
The Wholestone Sioux Falls pork processing facility is an entity owned by regional pork producers who will help supply the plant. Wholestone has exercised an option to purchase 170 acres in the Northeast part of Sioux Falls.
