Meat&Poultry -- June 2014 - 47

Engineered
for excellence:

BRAD MCDOWELL

Flexible solutions
for versatile slicing
DIVIDER orbital+

DIVIDER 660+

We drive toward success as much and

on livestock from outside the coun-

as hard as we can," he says. "We try

try like the border state plants. Con-

Ideal for hard-to-slice products

to always work smarter."

sumers want the best-tasting, highest-

He doesn't believe in compromise,

quality products, not something based

Excellent slice control for
stacking and shingling

but believes in consensus. "I'm a big

on a label showing where the animal

Wide range of thickness options

fan of debate," he adds. "Often, there's

was born, raised or slaughtered. We're

more than one solution to a problem."

not talking about Third-World coun-

McDowell also thinks there are a

tries here, but Canada and Mexico. If

Faster reload

number of important issues that must

it's a competitive advantage, I am all

Reduces non-productive times

be solved in order for the meat-pro-

for letting each company market it to

cessing industry to continue thriving.

their advantage. It is costly to us and

Maximum process safety

One is immigration reform. "Agricul-

all other plants to make it mandato-

ture needs more people who are will-

ry. We have to carry multiple inven-

Cost competitive

ing to work in the industry, and the

tories of the same item dependent on

truth is, a lot of Americans don't want

the permutation of its specific origin."

Slices in three rows at
production line capacities

to do that," he says. "I know many of

McDowell likes leading a compa-

our employees personally. They're

ny like AB Foods: "It's big enough

providing for their families, just as

to make a difference, and it's small

I provide for my family. So, there's

enough to make a difference," he says.

got to be a way to solve this problem,

"We've taken many of our hourly

making it possible for people to work

employees off the line and sent them

in agriculture if they want to."

to our retail partners, to see what hap-

The Country-of-Origin Label-

name - and I continue to point out

the Northwest, we're dependent on

opportunities to them. That's one of

Canadian livestock at certain times

the values, the advantage, of a medi-

of the year, and they are high-quality

Small footprint

know many of these employees by

McDowell's view. "As a plant here in

Touch screen with intuitive
menus; network ready

the value of what he or she does. I

a problem that doesn't really exist, in

Efﬁcient cleaning

pens. Now, that employee understands

ing law is an unfortunate solution to

Circular and involute blade

um-sized company," he concludes. ■

cattle," he says. "This law gives unfair
competitive advantages to Midwest
processing plants that are not reliant

Bernard Shire is a contributing editor based in
Lancaster, Pa. He also works as a food safety
consultant with Shire and Associates.
www.MeatPoultry.com *

June 2014 *

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Meat&Poultry -- June 2014

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