“We are very pleased by the prospect of One World Beef purchasing the Brawley facility,” said
Tim Klein, chief executive officer, National Beef.
In January 2014, National Beef announced plans to close its Brawley, Calif., beef processing facility citing a declining supply of fed cattle. Approximately 1,300 employees were affected by the closing, which occurred last May.
“Closing the facility last year was a very difficult decision for us to make because of the impact on our employees and suppliers,” Klein said. “A successful transaction would bring a significant number of jobs, economic activity and a local source for beef processing back to the Imperial Valley.”
Based in Buena Park, Calif., One World Beef is a meat sales and marketing agent, distributing beef products to restaurants, chefs and purveyors across the globe.
“We have a long history of leadership and serving as a partner in the region’s cattle feeding and beef processing industries. My family was involved in the original development of the Brawley facility and we supplied cattle to the facility since it opened in 2001,” said Eric Brandt, president, One World Beef. “We look forward to deepening our partnership with the community by creating jobs and opportunities for local, independent ranchers to process and market their products.”
The goal is to begin operations in the fourth quarter of 2015. Brandt Company is independently owned and operated from One World Beef and has no plans to change relationships with processing and packing partners.
