Tempel Updates PEP Board on Meat Packing Project

Curtis Tempel hopes a new USDA grant can provide additional funding for his meat packing business which will be located in Granada.  Tempel provided an update to the Prowers Economic Prosperity board during their monthly meeting on Monday, October 17^th.

“Building costs have increased by at least 50% since we began planning for this project five years ago and that has caused a shift in how we plan to build the operation,” he explained.  He said the USDA requires very specific and stringent guidelines on how this type of operation is constructed and instead of a stick-built facility, Tempel said he’s contacted a firm in Washington state that provides modular buildings directly suited to his needs.

“These buildings have been guaranteed by the USDA when they’re delivered and set to the site we’ve selected east of Camp Amache in Granada,” Tempel stated, adding that he’s recently spoken to the town’s trustees and everyone is on board with their proposed operation, including the land which will be annexed into Granada.

He said he can anticipate lower overhead costs as more modular units can be added as the plant expands over time and they are more energy efficient and will use less water than first projected.  The site preparation required for the units will be less expensive that was originally planned as well and because the units are built for specific meat packing needs, there will be less costs and time spent dealing with equipment vendors.

“We’ll have units for slaughter, carcass chill, a holding unit, processing, freezer and cold storage and we will still be open to multi-species, but not for any hunter operation for game,” he told the PEP board.  The new plans will not have any impact on their projected capacity.  The initial operation for the Colorado Plains Meat Packing Company calls for from 14 to 17 employees.

“The Colorado Department of Agriculture awarded funding for a grant writer and the application will be forwarded to a grant request from the USDA in a Small Plant category.  The grant will pay 20% of construction costs and 20% of the cost of the operation for the first four years,” Tempel said, adding that the USDA inspections are free for the first 40 hours of operation, or eight hours over five days, but after that fees for extra hours will be charged.  He is still seeking individual investors for the plant and anticipates that once the grants are awarded, he expects another year to begin.

Tempel told the PEP board that he believes existing business owners or those wanting to expand or begin an operation could be served by being offered information pertaining to areas of refined expertise with regards to tax credits and the intricacies of expanding or starting a business venture.

PEP board members approved the 2023 budget and noted that invitations are being mailed to area businesses for their VIP Social set for Lamar Community College for October 25^th.

Board member, Treagon Marquez, said the town of Granada is making a number of community improvements, including the park which is adding a new sprinkler system as well as a rock-climbing wall, a grant has been secured for revamp the town’s water tower, additional housing units are under construction as well as a new road leading to the town landfill.

The board approved financial support of Bill and Sherri Becker’s Seascape Salon up to $5,000 for construction of the parking lot due south of Little Caesar’s Pizza place.  The final work will depend on how quickly CDOT finishes the current phase of concreting Highway 287 up to Savage Avenue on the west side of the highway.  Construction crews are expected to take a winter break, leaving the east side as a two-lane roadway until work resumes in the spring.

PEP is resuming the monthly morning information session, Brewing for Business, which will be held the first Thursday of each month at Brew Unto Others on South Main Street, downtown.  The public, one-hour information sessions will start at 7am and will resume on Thursday, November 3^rd featuring business tax information.

By Russ Baldwin