Springfield Business Journal_2021-01-25

NONPROFITS Life360 Community Services’ affordable housing development is fully leased , and the nonprofit now plans a multistate expansion. PAGE 9 by Mike Cullinan · mcullinan@sbj.net A Pleasant Hope beef processing plant tha t expects to employ nearly 300 workers is on tar- get to open next month. Missouri Prime Beef Packers LLC is in the midst of hiring and making renovations to its 100,000-square-foot plant in anticipation of a Feb. 8 opening, said Nick Paschkov, chief oper- ating officer. A Jan. 15 ribbon-cutting ceremo- ny was held at the plant with Gov. Mike Parson among those in attendance. “I see a very beautiful, efficient and safe plant coming together,” Paschkov said of reno- vations during the past several months at the former pork processing facility. “We totally gutted this plant. We actually got it to where it was just basically a shell, but the plant itself was in excel- lent shape.” Paschkov said changing the plant to a beef processing operation required new equipment, rails, belts, conveyers and ductwork for heating. Work on refrigeration units is in progress. Company officials declined to disclose the in- vestment to launch in Pleasant Hope, but noted it was less than the $10 million cited in a recent Department of Economic Development news release. Dallen Davies, director of company cul- ture and public relations, said his father, Stacy Davies, and Derek Thompson own Missouri Prime Beef Packers. The planned employee count is 150 by open- ing day, Paschkov said. The goal is to expand to 275 employees when the plant gets to its target of processing 500 head of cattle per day. He said those marks are likely achievable by around 90 days in operation. “We’ve already got 170 job offers out,” he said. $2.00 · SBJ.NET JAN. 25-31, 2021 · VOL. 41, NO. 27 40 YEARS • YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY MCKENZIE ROBINSON AG TOUR Missouri Prime Beef Packers staff lead tours Jan. 15 as part of a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new business in Pleasant Hope. Beef company injects new life in Pleasant Hope plant See BEEF on page 20 Dallen Davies : Beef processing company selects Missouri over three other states. by Mike Cullinan · mcullinan@sbj.net After two decades working in the local public health sector, Springfield-Greene County Health Department Director Clay Goddard said he’s ready for a new challenge.  The Health Department leader since 2017 begins work in March as senior director of public health transforma- tion at the Missouri Foundation for Health. Goddard said thoughts of his career’s next step predated the COVID-19 pandemic. How- ever, when the newly created job with the St. Louis-based health care nonprofit landed on his ra- dar a couple of months ago, he ex- pressed interest. “I was in no rush to get out the door, but at the same time I was looking forward to what the next set of challenges looked like,” he said, noting his final day with the Health Department is Feb. 26. “I was looking for an op- portunity where I could continue to make a difference in the field of public health.” Goddard said he’s been asked numerous times if burn- out amid the stresses of the pandemic contributed to his Jan. 13 retirement announcement. “If anything, the pandemic made it a tougher deci- sion, not an easier decision,” he said, noting he’s far from burned out. “I’m energized and still look forward to going to work every day. … The thing that comforts me is know- ing how deep the department is, how ready our leader- ship is to take on this challenge. I’m still going to be in the game, but just from a different perspective.” At the Missouri Foundation for Health, Goddard said he’ll work with leaders in local and state public health systems to implement national best practices. “They are looking at public health systems and trying to See HEALTH on page 19 Goddard preps for new public health path Health Department leader takes role with statewide nonprofit Clay Goddard : The COVID-19 pandemic makes leaving the job a tougher decision.