[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 92 (Thursday, June 20, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1115-E1116]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             ZACKY COLD STORAGE GROWTH WARMS FRESNO ECONOMY

                                 ______


                       HON. GEORGE P. RADANOVICH

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 19, 1996

  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, a major California poultry producer, 
Zacky Farms, is embarking on an expansion plan in cooperation with the 
city of Fresno, and I am pleased to bring it to the attention of my 
colleagues.
  Zacky Farms is an engine of economic enterprise in my 19th 
Congressional District. In sharing the following article from the 
Fresno Bee, written by business news reporter Sanford Nax, I salute the 
men and women of Zacky Farms and wish them well as they grow and add 
value to our community.

                  [From the Fresno Bee, June 6, 1996]

             Zacky Farms Expansion Expected To Add 200 Jobs

                            (By Sanford Nax)

       The latest expansion by Zacky Farms will generate 200 new 
     jobs, with more to come as the poultry producer puts even 
     deeper roots into Fresno.
       A 75,000-square-foot addition to its Empire Cold Storage 
     plant at East and California streets will add 13 million 
     pounds of storage.
       Also, 5,000 square feet of space is being added to the East 
     Street turkey-processing operation in a related project, said 
     Ken Rutledge, vice president and general manager of Zacky 
     Farms.
       Together, the two expansions will increase Zacky's local 
     work force by about 200. The poultry processor employs about 
     2,400 people in Fresno and is one of the largest private 
     employers in the county.
       Many of the turkeys supplied to Zacky are raised in Fresno, 
     Tulare, Kings and Madera counties. California is its largest 
     market.
       The expansion of the cold-storage plant should be complete 
     in October. The addition to the turkey processing plant 
     should be done in January.
       The projects, which will total about $12 million, are among 
     the $124 million worth of investment Zacky plans to make in 
     Fresno in the next 20 years, Rutledge said.
       Zacky operates turkey and chicken plants in Fresno, and the 
     investments could lead to 3,400 new jobs over 20 years, city 
     officials said.
       Ruledge said an expanded freezer will enable Zacky to store 
     all of its produce internally rather than contracting some of 
     it out to a public freezer as it now does. The additional 
     5,000 square feet at the processing plant will allow Zacky to 
     consolidate functions that are divided between two buildings, 
     he said.
       The expansions also will make Zacky's operation more 
     energy-efficient and will reduce water consumption. ``This 
     new equipment is very efficient,'' Rutledge said.
       Zacky's ``grand plan'' in Fresno is being accomplished with 
     help from city officials through a development incentive 
     agreements.
       In such agreements, companies get a credit for some 
     development fees against the projected increase in tax 
     payments. These

[[Page E1116]]

     agreements are common with large manufacturing companies that 
     make significant contributions to the tax base and have large 
     work forces.
       ``They provide the necessary incentive to encourage 
     expansion and relocation,'' said Bill Evans, vice president 
     of the Fresno County Economic Development Corp.
       Any program that generates new jobs is welcome in a county 
     where the labor pool is expanding at twice the pace of job 
     creation.
       Zacky Farms began business in Los Angeles in 1928 and 
     expanded its operations to Central California and the Fresno 
     area in 1971.

                          ____________________