Rendering Plant: Quality Processors
Quality Processors has been a part of Springhill Colony since 1988. At this time, Springhill Farms Hog Processing Plant was in operation east of Neepawa. When the killing plant had no buyer for the oil-rich, raw and trim fat, Springhill Colony decided to purchase the fat daily and process it to produce tallow, a pig feed supplement. The founders of the rendering business were Reverend Mike Wollmann, Mack Wollmann, and Henry Wollmann. The main founder was Mike Wollmann Sr, who did some tests and started making small batches of tallow at our chicken killing plant with our small steam kettles. Soon, a bigger steam kettle was installed, which was much faster and more automated.
In the rendering building, the workers render pork fat into a feed supplement, called tallow. Tallow was first used in our own feed mill and small amounts got sold to colonies. Tallow can be used to make soap as well. We started out by selling tallow to 3 or 4 colonies, and slowly gained more as the plant grew bigger. The first load of tallow got sold to Hillside Colony, a couple of weeks after we first started making tallow. We first delivered tallow by mounting a 200- 300 gallon milk tank on a flatbed trailer that was pulled by a gas, half ton pickup. Today, tallow gets transported to over 50 colonies, with a 7000 gallon tanker semi tanker.
The first rendering manager was Reverend Mike Wollman, followed by Kenny Hofer. The present boss is Wayne Wollmann. Wayne Wollmann has been working at Quality Processors for 12 years. He has been the manager for approximately 7 years. “Man, those years flew past quickly,” reflects Wayne. “I still can’t believe I’ve worked there for 12 years already.”
There are many dangers, and hassles in the job of a rendering worker. You can get seriously burned by steam in a rendering building. You always have to be very aware, so that you don’t get your hands or legs caught up in the fat grinding machine. There are also many cutting/grinding machines, and other materials that could be very dangerous, or even fatal.
One of the worst smells you’ll ever encounter is the smell in a rendering building. There are also many other hassles about the job of a rendering worker. The workers have to deal with short lunch breaks. The boss always has to be around, to make sure everything runs smoothly. Wayne says, “Working with my brothers is a really big hassle, because they think they don’t really have to listen to me.” Also, it gets really hot during the summer months, and on a humid summer day, a wind coming from the south, blows the pig smell into the rendering. “Ugggghh I just can’t stand that smell,” stated Wayne. “I don’t think there’s anything worse than that smell.”
The appreciation that the rendering worker receive from tallow customers is one of the gratifying things about working at Quality Processors. “I’m also glad that I am my very own boss, because I really hate it when people try and boss me around, and I hate taking orders from other people,” states Wayne. Wayne also likes working in the rendering in the cold winter months, because it’s nice and warm inside.
There have been many changes in the rendering in the past couple of years. A new cooker and a new screw press have been installed. A screw press squeezes liquid tallow out of the cracklings. Some more major moves have been the installation of a new Perc Pan, and government issued flow meters have been installed on all delivery trucks that stop in. Bigger delivery trucks from Jade Transport and Gardwine North are making an increasing number of pickups and drops. Our tallow trucks are always getting busier as the number of people after our tallow increases.
Wayne Wollmann expects a few more changes to happen in the coming years as well. Wayne predicts that a new rendering will be built, because the present building is no longer functional for years and years to come. Wayne also expects the new building to be located outside colony boundaries; at least the smell from the rendering will not affect everyone in Springhill as much.
Brendan Wollmann
