Ticonderoga Meat Processing Plant, New York

Adirondack Meat Company started construction of a new meat processing facility in the town of Ticonderoga, Essex County, New York, US, in June 2012 after receiving approvals from the Adirondack Park Agency (APA).

The new facility was completed in February 2014 and received a temporary operating certificate from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to allow the facility to process up to ten animals per day, primarily consisting of cattle, pigs, goats and sheep. The capacity can be expanded to up to 50 animals a day on receiving the permanent operating licence.

The new facility has a total floor space of approximately 7,500ft² and is located near the APA-approved Ticonderoga Business Park. It has provided employment opportunities to 17 people with provision for additional employees once the retail outlet and smokehouse become operational.

Opening of the meat processing facility in Ticonderoga has also benefitted Champlain Valley farmers, who previously had to travel for two hours to reach the closest USDA certified slaughterhouses in Brasher Falls and Cambridge.

Construction of the Ticonderoga meat processing facility

The construction of the new facility includes a 50ft x 150ft building with a height of around 25ft. The exterior of the building is in tan and green coloured with 2ft x 7ft sign of the ‘Adirondack Meat Company’ attached to the south side of the building facing State Route 74. The building has a parking space for 30 vehicles off Commerce Drive.

Six pens, three coolers, freezers, processing areas, as well as lunchroom and restroom for employees, are located in the building. In addition, an office has also been built inside for the USDA inspector at the site to check compliance with USDA regulations

In addition, the company is scheduled to open a retail store on Wicker Street in Ticonderoga in May 2014 for direct sale of processed meats, including processed and packaged produce. Finished products will be branded with the Adirondack Meat Company label.

After six months of commencing operations, the facility is expected to include a smokehouse Which will include stocking of wood shavings for smoking and a six inch vent pipe for ventilation.

Utilities in Adirondack’s Essex County processing facility

The facility stores all renderings and by-products in freezers and collects them later weekly, reducing odour impact. It is facilitated with municipal water supply and also houses a waste water discharge mechanism to the municipal wastewater collection system.

Six trees, 5ft high, are planted south side of the building covering it from the State Route 74 to minimise the visual impact.

Financing

The total cost to build the plant was estimated at $1.4m, with $900,000 of it being a loan guarantee from the US Department of Agriculture, and $465,000 was through a grant sanctioned from Gov Andrew M. Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development initiative.

The plant also received North Country Regional Economic Development Council’s (NREDC) sanctions to the tune of $300,000 from Empire State Development and $165,000 from the State Department of Agriculture and Markets, through the Essex County Industrial Development Agency.