WINDOM, MINN. — An Iowa pork producer put in a bid for a Minnesota pork processing facility that was recently put on the market.

Premium Iowa Pork, located in Hospers, Iowa, bid $13 million to purchase the Windom, Minn., pork processing plant from Hylife Ltd, according to a report in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The La Broquerie, Manitoba-based company originally put the facility up for sale during April. 

Stacey Ashley, a HyLife spokeswoman, confirmed the impending sale.

“We have a successful buyer for our facility in Windom, subject to court approval,” Ashley said. “This means our operations at the plant have come to an end as of June 2, 2023.” 

She added that the buyer would not retain any employees at the Windom plant. 

“We have worked closely with the Minnesota Dislocated Worker Program and the Rapid Response Team was on-site to offer career counseling, resources, and job search support,” Ashley said. “This has been a trying journey for all involved; we would like to close by sincerely thanking our employees. Your dedication right up to the final day is admirable. We wish both our employees and the City of Windom all the best.”

HyLife also confirmed that it “provided transportation” for H-2B visa employees to return to their home countries. Previous reporting by the Minneapolis Star Tribune said 450 of the plant workers were from foreign countries.

In its initial statement on the sale in April, Hylife said that inflation, high grain costs and exchange rates negatively affected the business, leading the company to opt for selling the facility.

The Canadian producer expanded into the United States with the purchase of the Windom plant in 2020. At the time, HyLife partnered with Taylor Corp., to purchase a 75% share of the business, known as Prime Pork, which processed around 1.2 million hogs annually and employed 660 team members.

Premium Iowa Pork runs two pork operations in Hospers, Iowa, and Luverne, Minn., named Premium Minnesota Pork.