A long-shuttered beef processing plant in Rocky View County is set to open its doors under new ownership by the end of the month, two years later than originally anticipated.
Harmony Beef — the new name for the former Rancher’s Beef plant near Balzac — will begin slaughtering cattle Feb. 27, according to Rich Vesta, the plant’s owner. It will open with 175 employees, and is expected to ramp up to full production of 750 to 800 head a day within a year. Ultimately, the plant could employ between 350 and 375 people, Vesta said.
The plant — located north of Stoney Trail not far from Calgary city limits — will not only provide a third processing option to Western Canadian beef producers currently faced with a Cargill-JBS duopoly, it will be the largest facility in Canada built to European Union standards. Though the plant has not yet applied for EU certification, if it does, it will have the ability to take advantage of increased export opportunities brought about by this week’s passage of the Canada-EU Trade Agreement (CETA).
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