Hanacek: Do you believe that this plant is a good look into the crystal ball as to what a Protein Plant of the Future might resemble?

Ettinger: I think this plant would represent a protein plant of the future. First of all, it produces value-added items that feature meat, to which consumers are gravitating more over time, given cooking skills and given time constraints. I think it meets the challenge of the ‘future plant’ because it’s been so thoroughly thought through in terms of food safety, which is something Hormel has always tried to take a leadership position in, and clearly this facility embodies many of those principles. Lastly, the elements of sustainability that our team was able to unleash within this facility, by being able to build a facility like this from the ground up in this current environment where you’re so much more conscious of it. We found we were able to make investments that are not only excellent from a sustainability standpoint but also provide excellent returns to our shareholders. So we wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.