A company that plans to start processing beef and bison in north Fargo by late summer should receive a five-year property tax exemption, the city's Tax-Exempt Review Committee said Tuesday.
North Dakota Natural Beef LLC plans to break ground in March on the processing plant at 1909 Great Northern Drive, said Rusty Seedig, chief operating officer.
The cattle and bison will be slaughtered at North American Bison Cooperative's slaughterhouse in New Rockford, N.D.
The chilled carcasses will be hauled to Fargo for further processing and packaging before being sold to retailers and distributors of all-natural foods, Seedig said.
The cattle won't be given growth hormones or antibiotics.
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The Fargo plant will also double as a research facility for North Dakota State University's Beef Systems Center of Excellence, with classrooms and faculty offices.
North Dakota Natural Beef first approached the committee in May.
The company was asked to reapply for the exemption because it has added the building at 1901 Great Northern Drive to the project, City Assessor Ben Hushka said.
Seedig said a structure will be built to connect the two buildings, which have a combined value of $726,800, including the land.
The company's application projects the plant will employ 22 full-time workers with a total payroll of $291,692 in the first year and 102 workers with a total payroll of $2.95 million after five years.
The plant will be able to process 50,000 carcasses annually, though it will start on a smaller scale, Seedig said.
Committee members voted unanimously to grant the company a new-business exemption, which will amount to an annual property tax break of $63,700 for five years.
The City Commission will consider the tax exemption Feb. 26.
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In other business, the committee recommended approval of a five-year exemption for Echelon Corp.
The corporation, which develops software in Fargo for electric utility metering systems, plans to double its space by moving from 300 45th St. S.W. to 1749 38th St. S.
Wayne Wiebe, Echelon's real estate facilities manager, said the company plans to add 12 workers this year and five workers in each of the next four years to its existing Fargo staff of 25 employees.
Readers can reach Forum reporter
Mike Nowatzki at (701) 241-5528
