Court ruling goes against Tyson

A Maryland appellate court decision this month is complicating the relationship between Tyson Foods Inc. and the farmers who raise its poultry.

Tyson, parent of Tyson Mexican Original of Portland, says all of its poultry is raised by independent farmers.

But a 3-2 decision by the court has reinstated a workers’ compensation decision that benefits a farm manager disabled by lung disease.

“Taken in sum, Tyson’s extensive involvement in, and control over, (the farmer’s) day-to-day operation of the farm gave rise to an employment relationship as a matter of law,” the appellate panel said in a majority opinion.

“Mauro Jimenez Garcia was hired as a handyman on Worcester County chicken farm in 2009. When the owner fell ill, he took over as manager. After the owner died, employees from Tyson Foods taught Garcia how to raise chickens according to Tyson’s standards,” Claims Journal reported.

Tyson’s position is that it has a “vertically-integrated” system, with independent contract farmers raising the poultry according to its standards.



Joins group

The Andersons, which operates a large grain terminal near Dunkirk and an ethanol plant in Greenville, Ohio, has joined Growth Energy, the U.S. ethanol trade association.

Based in Maumee, Ohio, The Andersons owns ethanol plants in Albion, Michigan, Logansport, Indiana, Denison, Iowa, and Colwich, Kansas, in addition to Greenville.

Combined its plants have a production capacity of more than 545 million gallons per year.

“As the US ethanol industry has grown, The Andersons has been a pivotal player for nearly 20 years, working to expand homegrown ethanol and increase its accessibility at the pump. We look forward to continuing our work with The Andersons and utilizing its diverse agricultural expertise as part of our association,” said Growth Energy chief executive officer Emily Skor in a prepared statement.



New investor

CVS Health, which operates pharmacies throughout the area, has a new activist investor, The Wall Street Journal reported this week.

A hedge fund known as Starboard Value has been in talks with CVS leadership. The fund is known for bringing about change in large corporations as an investor. Its chief executive officer, Jeff Smith, is also chairman of the board for the Papa John’s pizza chain.



Service centers

Walgreens and UnitedHealth Group’s health insurance unit are opening “Medicare services centers” inside the pharmacy chain’s U.S. drugstores in select markets under a new partnership, Forbes reported this week on its website.

The move will involve 14 service centers in January.

“Through these centers, Walgreens customers can learn more about Medicare, meet with service advocates to discuss their UnitedHealthcare plan benefits and even enroll in plans,” the companies said in a joint statement. “UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage members can also make an appointment for an in-store annual wellness visit at the Medicare services center in Walgreens through UnitedHealthcare's HouseCalls program, helping make it easier to get needed care, tests and treatment.”



POET pause

POET Biorefining, parent company of Portland’s ethanol plant, has decided to stop production of cellulosic ethanol at its Emmetsburg, Iowa, plant, The DesMoines Register reported this week.

The company, which is the country’s largest ethanol producer, will continue with its research and development of cellulosic ethanol made from crop residue.

The decision will cut about 30 jobs at the Emmetsburg plant.

Its sister plant employs 40 in production of corn ethanol.