Maintenance Worker Dies in Accident at Prestage Pork Plant

An industrial accident claimed the life of a worker Friday morning at the Prestage Foods of Iowa pork processing facility in Eagle Grove, IA.

The victim was identified by the company as 57-year-old mechanic Jeffrey Leonardi. He was hired when the plant opened in March 2019.

“We are deeply saddened by the death of one of our team members early this morning at our Eagle Grove facility,” Prestage CEO Jere Null said in a release. “An accident occurred on the third shift while the employee was performing routine maintenance duties.”

Iowa OSHA was notified of the fatality and the company is cooperating with the agency. Prestage said it plans to conduct its own investigation into the death.

No further details were available on the circumstances of the fatality. Coverage by The Fort Dodge Messenger News noted that Leonardi’s death was the second logged at the facility in 2021. The body of worker Wayne Smith was discovered in a locker room with his throat cut in February.