JWV Pork closing Washington site, laying off 65

WASHINGTON, Iowa — JWV Pork, a major pork producer in Washington, Iowa, is selling off its assets and has laid off 65 employees, according to a WARN notice published by Iowa Workforce Development.

JWV Pork co-owner Heidi Vittetoe declined to comment but said she and co-owner Jerome Vittetoe “may have more to say in the future.”

The company was sued Sept. 1 in Linn County District Court for being in default for nearly $39 million of debt to Farm Credit Services of America PCA and FCLA. The loans originated between 2016 and 2022.

A Sept. 14 court order instructed JWV to turn over its assets to Focus Management Group, a Chicago-based turnaround management firm that has since sold at least $16 million of the plant’s collateral. Growthland planned to help FMG sell much of the farm’s assets by Jan. 10, according to court documents.

The closure will have a massive impact in Washington, population 7,000, where the Vittetoes are major employers and known for their event sponsorships, food donations and volunteerism.

The 65 employees laid off don’t represent all of JWV’s workforce. While the total number of employees wasn’t immediately available, WARN notices are only required from companies that employ more than 100 workers.

It’s believed that JWV Pork, which opened in 1980, has felt the impact of a tumultuous pork market, where producers say hogs in recent months have sold for $40 less than it costs to grow them.

The loss adds up fast for a company like JWV, which produces roughly 400,000 pigs a year, according to a 2019 article from PorkBusiness.com.

The receiver’s report also noted “significant infectious disease instances that severely impacted JWV’s operations during the winter of 2022 and spring of 2023. FMG worked with JWV’s veterinary support organization to make plans to mitigate the chance of reoccurrence during fall manure pumping operations and throughout the flu season.”

The report did not specify the infectious disease in question.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com