The last slaughterhouse in Los Angeles County permanently closed its doors nearly four months ago in the wake of operational violations, escaped cattle and, finally, bankruptcy. Now, with the site up for sale, the city of Pico Rivera is vying for a chance to reimagine it.<\/p>\n
The city announced on Tuesday its intention to participate in the public auction of the 3.74-acre meat-processing facility, known as Manning Beef, with the goal of barring another meatpacking company from taking over the site.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully either we purchase it outright, or, at the end of the day, if we can work with another developer who wants to come in and share our same vision,\u201d Steve Carmona, Pico Rivera\u2019s city manager, said of Wednesday\u2019s auction. <\/p>\n
The site could be used for affordable housing, public open space, or to house an operation focusing on sustainable, plant-based food innovation, according to the city. <\/p>\n
Carmona said Tuesday the opening bid for the site of the former facility was $7 million.<\/p>\n
Without disclosing an exact amount, the city manager said that Pico Rivera had set aside some funding for strategic real estate acquisitions and that this would be the ideal investment for the community. <\/p>\n
Manning Beef was founded in the 1920s as a ranching business. Three decades later, the meatpacking plant opened its doors in Pico Rivera, said Ben Williamson, executive director of Animal Outlook, a national animal advocacy organization. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was born and raised in the city, and ever since I was a kid, it\u2019s always been there,\u201d Carmona said. \u201cIt\u2019s had some challenges in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Manning Beef made national headlines in 2021<\/a> when a small herd of cattle escaped through an open gate and went for a nighttime stroll, wandering more than a mile away into a residential neighborhood. One of the about 40 escapees charged at a family of four and was fatally shot by law enforcement who were assisting in the effort to round up the animals.<\/p>\n The company was closely watched by Williamson\u2019s organization, Animal Outlook, after Virginia-based company Smithfield Foods announced the closure of its Farmer John\u2019s meatpacking plant in the city of Vernon<\/a> in 2022. <\/p>\n Animal Outlook planted an undercover worker at Manning Beef toward the end of 2024; they were employed from October to December. <\/p>\n \u201cWhat we found was animals going to slaughter while they appear conscious,\u201d Williamson said. In another incident, the worker reported a cow with a physical disability who was shocked a total of 20 times, he said. <\/p>\n Manning Beef accumulated 61 humane-handling violations between 2018 and 2024, for allegedly starving animals, beating them and excessive electrical shocks, he said. <\/p>\n