The St. Joseph, Mo., processing facility is the site of the planned growth, that would add nearly 10,000 square feet to the plant.

The company reports that export sales already have fueled $15 million worth of growth at the plant, including expanded equilibration bays, new CO₂ stunning equipment and a new freezer facility.

Triumph is now pursuing a $4 million expansion that would allow for the production of sliced pork bellies and diced pork-- both are products of high demand in Asia. Patt Lilly, Triumph's, chief administrative officer, told the St. Joseph newspaper, that construction hasn't begun but should be completed by the end of the year.

According to Pork Magazine, the driver behind the expansion plan is a 43 percent increase in fresh pork exports to countries such as China, Russia and Japan during the first half of 2008.

"With the expansion and the new investment comes new jobs," Lilly says. "Triumph Foods has added over 200 jobs in the past year as we continue to expand processing capacity." Triumph now employs some 2,500 workers and processes 18,000 to 19,000 hogs daily.