With a strong and successful business background, David Adams was hired in May of 2018 as CEO of Intermountain Bison, a family-owned operation with several ranches in Idaho. In the Spring of 2019, a concerning trend was discovered and the ability to harvest animals in a timely manner had started to become problematic.

The plant Intermountain Bison had been using to process their meat was experiencing schedule tightening and retaining a spot in the queue had become highly competitive. What used to be a simple scheduling routine had quickly turned precarious. Missing a scheduled day for any reason was a sufficient reason to get bumped for three or four months- if they were able to get rescheduled at all.

Consequently, that left cattle and bison sitting in feed yards while the team rushed to find somewhere else to take the animals for processing. The need for a backup plan or an alternate packer placed the idea of starting a new meat packing plant on David Adams’ radar. He pitched the idea to a coterie of colleagues and investors and, after analyzing the market need, the team began setting plans in motion.

A new plant obviously meant having a building to house the company. Purchasing and refitting an existing building was the first option considered as it would yield a shorter time frame to begin operation. Locations in Montana, Texas, Washington, and Idaho were explored.

Unfortunately, the condition of the facilities toured were not ideal. Existing buildings were either too old, antiquated, not big enough, or in such a dilapidated state that they were not regarded as a viable path to pursue. Discouraged, the team wondered if they were trying too hard to make it work and backing off a little seemed to be a prudent course of action.

As with most obstacles in developing a business, problems tend to compound and escalate. Intermountain Bison received a letter from the packing facility that harvested their animals, and it was not good news. An imminent price increase was not only inevitable, but it was going to be a staggering price hike of 103%.

It was a baffling announcement and a disheartening blow for the team to absorb. Certainly, it was not a favorable path forward and they knew they were no longer in a sustainable situation. The prospect of opening their own plant was once again pushed to the foreground.

A few months later, while attending a conference in Denver, a few team members were able to find time to tour the packing facility that was imposing the increase. At the conclusion of the tour, Adams spoke with the manager and said, “I’m still picking my jaw up off the ground over this price increase.” The manager responded by stating that due to a long waiting list of other companies the same size or bigger than Intermountain Bison, they were in a take-it-or-leave-it position. No offense was taken with the matter-of-fact response, but it made the team cognizant of three facts: first, there was a real need in the market, second, they were not the only ones in this situation, and third, something had to be done.

With the prospects of utilizing an existing building eliminated as an option, the decision to build a new facility was made. Of course, this decision introduced arduous tasks such as securing financing, construction plans, and finding a parcel of land to build on. But it also provided the opportunity and benefit of a custom-built meat packing facility that could support the processing of both cows and bison, catering to a broader range of potential customers.

An undertaking as huge as this one set off a slew of obstacles and struggles as well. Construction and environmental considerations on top of mountains of paperwork presented a more challenging barrier to entry than originally anticipated. The biggest challenge was how to make it all happen financially. An expensive project from the get-go, the actual costs turned out to be even more than the initial estimate.

The collaboration of many individuals, companies, investors, and banks was complicated and intricate and took more time to materialize, but each was critical and important to the end goal of establishing Intermountain Packing as a premier player in the meat packing industry. The perseverance and fortitude demonstrated by all involved played a pivotal role in the formation of Intermountain Packing.

After almost two years of researching, analyzing, planning, worrying, and maybe a little dreaming, Intermountain Packing was officially formed as a Limited Liability Company (LLC). What started out with an industry dilemma turned into a viable solution for a business venture with market demand and support already established

With everything falling into place, the major obstacle of finding a location to build on remained. After careful deliberation and site comparisons, Idaho Falls was selected based on a few factors.

First, the land sits along the I-15 corridor, just off US Highway 20, and provides proximity and easy access. It is a good central location and can serve as a distribution hub for Southeast Idaho and the Intermountain region. In addition, most of the animals in Idaho were previously hauled out of state, so savings on transportation will be significant. Second, having the company grounded in the same town where the development team and other investors lived provided a sense of community pride and comfort. And third, the city of Idaho Falls offered a great new business incentive package, as Intermountain Packing would be employing approximately 200 employees, competitive wages, and benefits.

Ground was broken in November of 2020 and Headwaters Construction began construction in April of 2021. The projected completion date, and subsequent opening, is July 2022.

The team at Intermountain Packing has put everything into making the plant run as effectively as possible. Ensuring that they can practice what they preach by being able to take care of everyone once the company is running at capacity is of paramount importance.Safety, environmental responsibility, and efficient operations are the goal. However, with steady growth, additional facilities could be on the horizon.

There is much to look forward to as Intermountain Packing begins operations. The vision David Adams had in 2018 will soon begin to benefit those whom Intermountain Packing aims to help: local ranchers, third party marketers, the harvesting industry, grocery stores, and local consumers.