Apr. 13--Austin's second-largest employer, Quality Pork Processors, is building a $3.5 million addition to provide more space for employees.
Construction of a two-story office building has started at QPP and is scheduled to be completed in June.
The addition to the south side of the plant, will include office space, a cafeteria, a locker room and a mechanical shop, according to city records. Construction on the 30,000 square feet began in November.
Kelly Wadding, QPP president, said the addition will provide more and better space for the employees.
Wadding said it's been quite a while since the plant at 711 Hormel Dr. had any renovation work or an addition built.
QPP's last building project was a 72,000-square-foot boning and packaging plant in conjunction with Hormel Foods Corp., in Albert Lea.
The Austin facility, adjacent to the Hormel plant, had no room for an expansion that size, which led the firm to look elsewhere.
QPP is Austin's second-largest employer with 1,245 workers.
The company processes pork products exclusively for Hormel Foods, which began its relationship with QPP in 1988.
[Post-Bulletin (Rochester, MN) (KRT) -- 04/14/06]
