Carbondale Reporter

In a Nov. 2 Facebook post, Rep. Dave Severin (R-Marion) cheered the USDA grant awarded to Saline River Farms Beef and Pork Processing Plant.

“The area as a whole will really benefit from this new investment and the jobs that will be coming with it,” he wrote on Facebook. “I am encouraged by the teamwork and cooperation that has been shown by local leaders to make this project a reality."

Jeff Diederich, a partner with Saline River Farms, said the effort will bring money outside of Illinois to the state, Meat+Poultry reported.

Meat+Poultry reported Saline River will build its site at the former Four Star Arena.

Severin shared a link to the full announcement on his website, where he continued his statements on the topic. The USDA grant was $6.8 million. “We’re seeing high prices for the consumer at the grocery store for beef and pork right now, and bringing on more processors is one way we can help to address those costs,” Severin said. “More jobs and more investment means more progress for Southern Illinois.”

“When those dollars cycle through that plant and go out to our employees and our vendors, they get spent repetitively in our community,” Diederich said, according to FOX 23.

Brent Clark, a Williamson County cattle producer and one of four partners involved in the new project, told Farm Week Now that the facility on Route 66, east of Marion, will process beef and pork on two lines. It will have around 116 workers on two shifts. “This will give producers in Illinois a great option to process their (meat) products,” Clark told FarmWeek. “Once we announced this in September, my phone started ringing off the hook, river to river.”

According to KFVS 12, Clark said the facility will help with shortages of grocery store products.

According to WSIU, groundbreaking is expected in the spring and then up to 18 months for construction.

Severin was first elected to the Illinois House in 2017. His legislative experience includes serving on the Judiciary - Criminal, and Mental Health & Addiction committees. Severin resides in Benton.