Having already rejected one offer, meat industry media reported that Pilgrim's Pride Corp., Pittsburg, Texas, rejected a second, larger $60 million offer for its Farmerville, La., poultry plant from Foster Farms, Livingston, Calif., and the State of Louisiana. In doing so, however, Pilgrim's Pride reportedly made a counter offer to the state, which was reported as $80 million by the Monroe, La., News Star. . . .
Graeter's, a Cincinnati ice cream processor and area retailer, expects by January 2010 to build a $11 million plant in Cincinnati's Bond Hill area. Officials say the new 28,000-square-foot plant will enable Graeter's to expand distribution to new markets. The Cincinnati Inquirer reported that -- in addition to supplying Kroger Co. stores in Ohio -- Graeter's last year shipped product to Kroger's King Soopers division in Denver. Now the company reportedly has drawn interest from Hoston/Dallas Krogers as well.