Summers named LPCA plant manager

Odessa’s main drag may have lost another business with the closing of KD Meats, but at the same time CPoW’s livestock-processing plant has gained a manager with a wealth of experience and knowledge in the field. Darren Summers has accepted the position of plant manager of the Livestock Producers Cooperative Association (LPCA) facility at the Odessa Industrial Park.

Several other new hires are also now working, joining production manager Tally Ross, processing manager Dillon Summers and production assistant Tyler Shaw. Newly hired as additional production assistants are Kendrain (Witt) Summers, Michael Osborne, Don Jacobson and Cathy Browley. Sue Nichols remains on staff as the bookkeeper and office supervisor.

According to Nichols, the plant is currently processing about six or seven head of livestock per day. About 90 percent of the animals that have been processed to date are cattle, although many sheep and goats have been coming in lately, Nichols said. The plant also processes hogs and can handle custom jobs of just one animal, on up to several dozen or more.

As production has ramped up, the plant has ordered new equipment to help the employees meet the demand. Some of the equipment used initially was undersized for the numbers of livestock that are now being processed.

“We are learning every day,” says Nichols of the staff’s efforts to get plant production up to the levels of output and quality that customers want and expect.