Feb 2, 2007 11:00 am US/Mountain
Swift: Government Made Company An Example
CEO: Swift Could Go Public If No Buyer Found
GREELEY, Colo. (AP) ―
The head of meatpacker Swift & Co. said federal officials wanted a high-profile example of an immigration crackdown when they staged massive raids on Swift plants in six states late last year.
President and CEO Sam Rovit told the Greeley Tribune in Friday's editions that the government rejected the company's offer to help investigate alleged identity theft.
"They were looking for a marquee to show the administration it was tough on immigration," he said.
Rovit and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman did not immediately return messages from The Associated Press Friday.
ICE arrested 1,282 workers in the Dec. 12 raids. Of those, 246 now face state or federal identity theft charges and the rest face immigration charges.
The raids were in Greeley, the privately held company's headquarters town, and in Grand Island, Neb.; Cactus, Texas; Hyrum, Utah; Marshalltown, Iowa; and Worthington, Minn.
Rovit said Swift had done everything it could to comply with hiring practices established under the Basic Pilot Program, a federal program designed to help employers check applicants' immigration status.
Rovit also told the newspaper the Greeley-based company would refinance its debt and take the company public if it is not sold. The company said last week it was considering options ranging from refinancing to a sale or initial public offering.
Rovit said the company could refinance this summer and go public within two years. He acknowledged that a sale also remains an option.
He predicted the Greeley plant would remain open whether or not the company is sold and lashed out at people he did not name for making "trash" statements about Swift.
"There are a lot of people parading around as industry experts, who put out trade reports based on what our competitors say," Rovit said. "Those competitors are looking to take advantage of our customers, and what those experts have been saying is trash," he said.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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