OTTUMWA — The city, the meatpacker and the Latino community are forever joined in a significant impact on Ottumwa’s growth and development.

But it’s Latinos who are the key to success for all three. During the past 10 years, hundreds of Latinos chose to work in Ottumwa, where they saw a chance for a better life.

Because Latinos joined the work force, Cargill Meat Solutions, formerly known as Excel, expanded its meatpacking plant to a two-shift operation in Ottumwa, a city hungry for a larger tax base.

Mayor Dale Uehling was in office in 1997 when a fire at Excel created a crossroads for the company.

“Excel wanted to expand the number of hogs being processed, which meant more need for changes in the wastewater treatment plant,” he said. “And they told us there was another problem — lack of enough workers.”

At the time of the fire, the plant was a single-shift operation of about 1,250 workers. If the company stayed, they wanted two shifts.

The local laborshed (the number of available workers in a 40-mile radius) didn’t offer enough, according to the mayor.

“When you have a plant that has an assembly line, people have to be there every day,” Uehling said.

Randy Zorn, Cargill general manager, said the company could only get a partial shift and began recruiting workers from the U.S. Southwest.

“Things started slowly but people see opportunities in different areas,” said Zorn, who took over plant operations in 2000.

After 2002, Cargill was done recruiting. Word-of-mouth was doing the job for them.

“A wide variety” of people, not just Latinos have moved to Ottumwa to work for Cargill. Many are from California and Washington, Zorn said.

He understands why people would move to Ottumwa. He said his family already knew about the city.

“Ottumwa is a nice place, not too big and not too small, with a lot to offer,” he said.

Today’s Cargill workforce of 2,300 is about 30 to 35 percent Latino. Zorn said production continues to grow and the entire work force is committed.