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Denison Learners to Leaders Graduation

ourcommitments — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:38:09 +0000

The first students from Denison, Iowa, to participate in the Learners to Leaders/Science Bound program are about to graduate, and we couldn’t be prouder of them!

As a result of successfully completing the intensive program, which runs from eighth to 12th grade, eight Denison students will be receiving four-year, full-tuition scholarships to attend Iowa State University. Among the requirements of the program, students have to complete a science fair project, maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0, and participate in 75 percent of the program’s activities.

The students, graduates, and their families will have the chance to celebrate all their hard work at the Learners to Leaders/Science Bound Spring Honors Banquet on Wednesday, May 16, at the Boulders Conference Center in Denison. Guest speakers include Todd Gerken, Farmland’s vice president of operations, and Dave Townsend, Smithfield’s assistant vice president of environmental affairs.

Since 2007, Farmland Foods and Smithfield Foods have sponsored the Learners to Leaders/Science Bound program, an educational partnership with Denison local schools and Iowa State University. The program’s goal is to inspire ethnically diverse students to work toward degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

First Denison Learners to Leaders® Class to Graduate

admin — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:59:25 +0000

In spring 2012, the first high school seniors to complete the Learners to Leaders program in Denison, Iowa, will graduate. A partnership between Smithfield Foods’ subsidiary Farmland Foods, the Denison Community School District, and Iowa State University’s Science Bound program, Learners to Leaders grooms students for success in college beginning in 8^th grade and continuing through high school.

As part of its mission of “inspiring minds to strengthen communities,” Learners to Leaders challenges participants to achieve excellence in science-related courses that go beyond their school’s curriculum. And students are rising to the occasion. For example, the program stages an annual science fair that has produced projects as advanced as solar cars and wind turbines.

Now in its sixth year, the program receives more applicants at the 8^th grade entry level than it can accommodate. Of the over 60 current participants, many students are the first members of their families planning to attend college. Upon graduation, successful students receive scholarships to pursue a science-related degree at Iowa State University.

Larry Pope, president and CEO of Smithfield, believes sound education is the bedrock for building strong communities. “Everyone deserves a fair shot to pursue excellence, but some students face extraordinary challenges that interfere with their dreams,” he says. “That’s why Smithfield will keep investing in quality education for the deserving youth of Denison and other communities.”

To learn more about the students in Denison, Iowa, visit http://www.sciencebound.iastate.edu/denison/index.html.

Winning Green for Going Green with Environmental Excellence Awards

admin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 14:28:55 +0000

Each year we give Environmental Excellence Awards to projects and initiatives by our facilities that both help the environment and save money. On September 14, 2010, we held our annual Environmental Excellence Awards banquet during our Environmental Training Conference in Omaha, Nebraska. Over 100 representatives of Smithfield Foods, John Morrell, Smithfield Packing Company, Farmland Foods, and Murphy-Brown attended. This year’s theme was “Sustainability in Focus.” Dennis Treacy, our chief sustainability officer, and Bob Toy, director of environmental for Union Pacific, both spoke about the importance of sustainability for today’s companies.

Three President’s Awards and eleven Environmental Excellence Awards were presented for a wide range of projects addressing Processes/Packaging, Resource Conservation, Pollution Prevention, and Environmental Management. Environmental Excellence Awards are given to specific people (or a team of people), and a President’s award is given when the project was the combined effort of too many folks to name. In total, over 137 projects were submitted.

In combination, the projects submitted resulted in a savings as follows:

378 million gallons of water
138,044 decatherms of natural gas
5,014,193 kWhs of electricity
34,689 tons of solid waste materials
1,575 tons of additional cardboard recycling
65,900 gallons of diesel fuel
15,000 trees planted

All the above was realized at a capital expenditure of $10.5 million and an annual cost reduction of $9.94 million.

The awards also resulted in donations to many charities, including Ronald McDonald House, National FFA, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and more.

Carter Hanson of the John Morrell Patrick Cudahy facility in Cudahy, Wisconsin, was selected as this year’s “Zero Hero.” Carter was recognized for his preparedness and ongoing management of the environmental issues that were encountered as part of the fire that took place at the Cudahy facility in July of 2009.

“These kinds of results and cost reductions are the product of a corporate social responsibility program that is embedded throughout the company and supported at all levels,” noted Bill Gill, assistant vice president for environmental affairs. Dennis Treacy agreed, adding that “All those receiving awards and submitting projects are to be congratulated on the efforts and results they bring to the company year after year.”

Please direct any questions or comments regarding the Awards program to Robert ‘Buddy’ Harris (robertharris@smithfieldfoods.com).