Sampson Community College’s Division of Customized Training recently awarded 11 Prestage Farms employees with their Beta Raven Operator Training certification. Their completion signifies the importance of creating a competitive advantage in feed mill operations. According to Ray Powell, safety director for Prestage Farms, the learning his employees have received is invaluable. “It is our mission at Prestage Farms to produce a product that is second to none. We truly appreciate partnering with SCC to receive such sophisticated training while maintaining a standard of excellence.”

Prestage Farms, one of America’s leading producers of pork and poultry, has been in business since 1983. The company employs approximately 1,700 people and contracts with 1,000 farms families to raise hogs and turkeys. With headquarters located in Sampson County and operations across the United States, the company possesses two feed mills: 421 Hwy Feed Mill and the Moltonville Feed Mill.

The company strategically built these two mills at locations near the railroads in order to have easy access to receive grain from the mid-west in case there was a shortage on grain crops in North Carolina. This gives Prestage a competitive advantage to operate the mills on a continuous basis. The Beta Raven Control System, in conjunction with the in-line scale system, is integral for controlling, monitoring and regulating the manufacturing of feed through grinding, batching, pellets, material routing and detailed graphics to share database information with other programs. The state-of-the-art equipment also allows for human-machine interface (HMI) which allows manual control of process equipment.

Jeff Smith, of California Pellet Mills, was the instructor for the course, and he says Prestage employees are now equipped to maintain the competitive edge and maximize their job performance. “With the expert knowledge to operate, troubleshoot, and maintain this sophisticated system, the employees will be able to operate it at the production demand to ensure that the animals are provided with an adequate nutritious diet, which creates a continuous production flow and prevents down-time for employees. It’s truly a win-win for them.”

The Customized Training Program at SCC was designed and developed to provide specialized training classes for the local business and industry as well as help upgrade skill levels and train present employees. Sampson Community College is continually committed to playing an active role in the continuing education of Sampson and surrounding counties. For more information about Customized Training, contact Kate Brown at (910) 592-7176.