The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 7

I June 27, 1980 DES MOINES REGISTER 7A POOL PHOTO Swift's three Iowa pork plants stay open in sale, reorganization LARA RULED FIT TO TRY; ENTERS INNOCENT PLEA 1 Swift Co. Now the firm is selling off the business that created it. Copeland said company officials are actively pursuing the sale of the new packing company, which he will head. While Swift Co. has remained a big contributor to Esmark's total sales, it has been a disappointing profit producer for several years, analysts say.

The food processor contributed 67 percent of Esmark's $6.8 billion in sales in the fiscal year ending Oct. 31, but only 11 percent of its operating profit. Energy Earns Most The energy group, meanwhile, supplied 14 percent of revenue but more than 41 percent of operating profit. Industry sources said shutdown plans are pending for a Swift beef plant in Guymon, a pork and beef plant in Rochelle, 111., and a pork plant in Moultrie, Ga. Copeland said the new firm may attempt to buy Swift's Dumas, Texas, boxed beef plant.

Swift's Clovis, N.M., plant already has been scheduled to close. In Iowa, Swift also employs about 250 workers at a poultry processing plant in Clinton. It has several other employees at a feed mill and research farm in Williamsburg and sales facilities in Davenport and Cedar Rapids. Copeland said the newly formed Swift Independent Packing Co. will operate two pork plants in addition to the three in Iowa, two lamb plants, a broiler plant and 73 branch houses.

The new firm is expected to employ about 5,000 workers and have annual sales of about $2 billion. Copeland added that, under an agreement with the United Food and mg.lciT.O.4 mtjr Lara found competent for trial Albert Lara Jr. listens to remarks during his competency hearing Thursday afternoon in Dubuque. Lara is accused of the May 15 slaying of Jennifer Peters, 15, of Bellevue. He was found competent to stand trial; William Bartmann, his defense attorney, expects to seek a change of venue.

By MIKE McGRAW RMfcttr Labar Wrttar Iowa's three Swift Co. pork plants will not be among the facilities closed under a restructuring of Swift's parent company, officials of Esmark Inc. announced Thursday. After meeting in Chicago, Esmark directors said some units of Swift's fresh meats division would close and the rest would be sold to a newly formed firm, Swift Independent Packing Co. The new company, which will include Iowa's three pork plants, will be' put up for sale immediately, Esmark off icials said.

J.A. Copeland, president of Swift's fresh meats division, said in an interview that Swift and Esmark want to get out of the fresh meats business. The parent company, he said, would hang on to the highly branded processed foods operation, which has been the better moneymaker. Swift Iowa pork plants employ about 200 workers in Mar-shalltown, 400 workers in Sioux City and 300 workers in Glenwood. Vickers Sold, Too Esmark's directors on Thursday also approved the sale of the Vickers Energy including Vickers Petroleum Corp.

and Transocean Oil Inc. Company officials said the sale would result in a large credit to income for Esmark, a highly diversified conglomerate involved in the manufacture of braziers and agricultural chemicals, and in food products, meat packing and energy. Unlike most packing operations, which have been purchased by larger companies, Esmark was a product of 3 mg tar A UJ General Has Determined Dangerous to Your Health. I By JOHN CARLSON RMtlter Staff Wrftar DUBUQUE, IA. After being ruled competent to stand trial, Albert Lara Jr.

entered an innocent plea Thursday to the May 15 slaying of a 15-year-old Bellevue girl. During his initial arraignment in Dubuque County District Court June 9, Lara, a transient, attempted to plead guilty to a charge of first-degree murder in the strangulation of Jill Peters. Judge Karl Kenline refused to accept the plea and ordered a psychiatric evaluation of the 31-year-old California native. Dr. Curtis Fredrickson, a staff psychiatrist at the Iowa Security Medical Facility at Oakdale, testified Thursday that after a series of interviews he felt Lara understood the charge and court proceedings, and was able to assist his attorney in the trial.

Concurring Testimony Following concurring testimony from Dubuque psychologist Dr. Thomas Sannito, Lara addressed the court. Head bowed, Lara told Kenline: "Your honor, I feel I am competent and I'd like to proceed with the arraignment today if possible." Kenline then ruled Lara was competent to enter a plea and stand trial, and agreed the arraignment should take place immediately. Plea a Surprise The plea of innocent, a surprise to some in the courtroom considering Lara's earlier attempt to plead guilty, is likely to lead to a series of further disclosures surrounding the case. William Bartmann, the court- appointed defense attorney, said after the hearing that "new evidence" has come to light that caused his client to change his plea.

Bartmann said he also plans to seek a change of venue because of pretrial publicity. He said he also believes statements made by Lara which may have been interpreted by some as a confession to the murder, were made under "psychological duress" by those involved in the investigation. And Bartmann said he felt a search warrant-used in the investigation was illegally obtained by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. He would not elaborate. The girl, a freshman at Bellevue High School, was found clad only in socks in a farm field lane south of Peosta.

An autopsy showed "she had had sexual intercourse and death had resulted from strangulation by a smooth, cord-like strip of material," court records indicated. Water workers reject union Des Moines Water Works employees rejected a proposal Thursday to join Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 33. The vote was 82 to 74, according to Hugh Perry, labor relations examiner for the Iowa Public Employees Relations Board. Two ballots were challenged but they wouldn't change the outcome. But Perry said the election would not be certified for at least 10 days, to allow any challenges involving the election procedure to be made.

The union would have represented most Water Works employees, including clerical workers, gardeners and service employees. the unfinished Solid Wood Construction 17 V4" Deep Perfect For TV Stereo Open Both Ends Limited Quantities 840 1st St. WDM 50265 255-1114 Vi Blk. S. of Grand on 63rd Summer Hours: Mon, Unit Reg.

$335 now Mr $249 I Commercial Workers Union, which represents most packing house workers, the new firm will have a fully funded pension plan, a rarity in the fresh meat processing industry. One union official who asked not to be named said the union will lose approximately 1,200 members to the Esmark shutdowns. "The big story; behind the whole thing is Esmark; made a calculated decision to get out of the fresh meat decision, even though Swift reported a healthy profit, last year," he said. ,) Copeland said the company's Iowa-, facilities are "all in very goodt physical condition and we think they-are great assets." He said the new firm will not have branded lines, which will remain with Esmark, include such products, as Brown 'n Serve sausages and ball turkeys. Copeland said the new firm fully intends to honor existing labor agree-4 ments, but added there will be a "tre mendous savings" from the' maneuver.

"Our pension costs will be down and we'll have less overhead because it will be just a straight fresh 1 meat operation," Copeland said. 5 Paul Rogness elected head of food industries roup Paul Rogness of Des Moines has, been elected president of the Iowa-Food Industries Association. Other officers elected at the group's annual, convention were John Comer, Chariton, vice president; Larry, Anderson, Des Moines, secretary- treasurer, Bob Metge, Des 1 chairman of the board. Ixlicr '5 the tar, $2- IAS Rep'ort Jan. 1980.

TRIUMPH ifi-iinni only I IL COURT DENIES MAY'S REQUEST By ELIZABETH BALLANTINE rtnhttr Sttft Wrtnr Former Adjutant General Joseph May's request for a rehearing of his appeal of a federal court conviction has been denied by the U.S. Court of Appeals in St. Louis. Eleven of 15 counts against May were overturned May 30 by a three-judge panel of the court because of an improper jury instruction. Ray Rosenberg and Robert Dreher, attorneys for May, had requested a rehearing of the appeal by the full court because they said May's conviction on the four remaining counts of concealing records and making false statements was dependent on bis being convicted of illegal use of government aircraft.

The court overturned the flight counts, which alleged May illegally converted government property to his own use by using Iowa National Guard aircraft to visit his fiancee in Florida. Rosenberg said he wasn't surprised at Wednesday's refusal to rehear the appeal. "There are very few of those ever given," he said. No decision has been made on whether the decision will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, Rosenberg said.

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