ICAD Community West Liberty Continues to See Growth

WE-LEAD Partners with ICAD and ISU Extension

In Don Quixote, Cervantes wrote, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” The residents of West Liberty might rephrase that sentiment as something like “The proof of social responsibility is in the turkey,” in reference to the recent accomplishments of West Liberty Foods, L.L.C., a locally-owned, major turkey processor and the largest employer in West Liberty.

The success of West Liberty Foods, as well as the subsequent community growth in West Liberty, can be attributed in part to a partnership between Iowa State University Extension and West Liberty Economic Area Development (WE-LEAD). The purpose of this partnership is to create an economic development model that can be applied to small towns statewide.

Strategies that Extension and WE-LEAD have implemented with West Liberty include retention and expansion initiatives in which WE-LEAD conducted an impact analysis of West Liberty Foods doing business in the town of West Liberty, a leadership development program for young professionals, and workforce development programs.

“We are currently in the process of conducting a laborshed analysis through Iowa Workforce Development,” said Karen Lathrop, WE-LEAD executive director and ISU Extension community development specialist.

According to Lathrop, effective communication is key to successful economic development in small communities. WE-LEAD played a critical role in stimulating conversations between the city, the CEO of West Liberty Foods and other local business owners and stakeholders.

“WE-LEAD provided the impetus for major stakeholders to talk to each other,” said Lathrop. “We are just now seeing the increased benefit of proactive communication.”

Word about the efforts is getting around, not just among West Liberty residents, but throughout the state. On the WHO-WMT Newsradio program, The Big Show, host Ken Root referred to the community as “an economic powerhouse.”

Since partnering with WE-LEAD and ISU Extension, West Liberty Foods has achieved the following milestones:

In 2003, West Liberty Foods, with assistance from ISU Extension, developed an industry-leading food safety training program for its employees.

In 2004, the company became the first turkey processing plant in the United States to achieve ISO-14001 (International Organization of Standardization) certification. This certification program is an environmental management system that aids organizations in achieving and demonstrating sound environmental performance.

In March 2008, the company received the Seventh Annual Food Quality Award from DuPont Qualicon. This award recognizes corporate commitment to exceeding industry standards and pioneering new programs in food safety.

In October 2008 West Liberty Foods and ISU cosponsored a food safety conference at the ISU Meat Laboratory in Ames. At the conference, West Liberty Foods shared its expertise in food safety processes and education programs with other industry attendees.

Most recently, West Liberty Foods entered a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security through its new IMAGE program. The goal of IMAGE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement Mutual Agreement between Governments and Employers) is to support the integrity of a company’s employment practices.

For more information about WE-LEAD, contact Lathrop at 319-631-0043 or klathrop@iastate.edu.

West Liberty Foods, once owned by Oscar Meyer, was purchased by Iowa Turkey Growers Cooperative and has become an integral part of economic development efforts in the community.