Cargill continues to invest in its beef business and its employees despite challenging market conditions. The company hosted a ribbon cutting Tuesday for its $40 million workforce housing initiative, which includes 27 townhomes and an 81-unit apartment complex.
By addressing housing shortages, the company’s strategy is to reduce commute times and improve employee living options. Cargill’s investment is both strategic — to support workforce stability — and supportive of broader community improvement.
Jarrod Gillig, senior vice president of Cargill’s North American beef business, says Cargill’s commitment to nourishing the world is truly setting its employees and communities up for the future.
“One of the biggest issues we had is when new employees came to Fort Morgan, there just wasn’t housing available,” he says. “This was a huge opportunity for us, to make a better life for the employees. Nobody wants to sit on a bus for 45 minutes to an hour before and after work.”
Gillig says Cargill partnered with the community and businesses on a similar housing project near its Schuyler, Neb., plant. He explains the Fort Morgan project was undertaken by Cargill due to the “urgent need” and immediate impact on employees’ quality of life.
Located less that 10 minutes from the plant, the housing project reflects Cargill’s belief that employee well-being directly correlates to productivity, retention and overall organizational success. Gillig summarizes the project isn’t just about building housing options. It’s about building a supportive community and improving employees’ quality of life.
Johanna Hernandez, Cargill’s Fort Morgan general manager, describes the housing project as transformative, noting around 60% of her team members come from outside of the Fort Morgan area.
Hernandez personally highlighted the project’s significance, noting her own experience of “struggling to find a place” when she moved to Fort Morgan in 2024 and seeing this as a way Cargill “puts people first” and embraces its core values.
Features of the apartment complex includes:
- One-, two- and three-bedrooms plus some studios and suite-type apartments
- ADA accessible apartments are available
- 1,700 sq. ft. of common area
- Basketball area
- Laundry facilities
- Electric car charging stations
- Nearby amenities include a gas station, fast food, school and hospital
- A sidewalk from the complex goes under the highway and connects the housing project to a nearby park with a playground, city pool, baseball fields and tennis courts
Hernandez says the townhomes and apartments are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The complex is managed by Evergreen, an experienced third-party property management company, and employees must apply for rental.
Kevin Lindell, mayor of Fort Morgan, during the ribbon cutting emphasized the project’s importance, stating it epitomizes Cargill’s community commitment and helps solve the critical housing problem in small towns.
Cargill has also provided more than $500,000 in grants to local Fort Morgan nonprofits for childcare access and housing-related support.
In June, Cargill announced plans to invest nearly $90 million in automation and technology at its Fort Morgan beef plant over the next several years as part of its broader Factory of the Future initiative aimed at improving operational efficiency, yield and worker safety.
The company has already put $24 million into technology upgrades at the plant since 2021.
“The current market conditions remain challenging due to the cattle cycle and ongoing pressure on cattle numbers,” Gillig says. “However, we view this period as a pivotal opportunity to invest in our facilities for the future.”
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