ROSE HILL, N.C., Oct. 09, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc., and the Rose Hill Fire Department today unveiled a new 100-foot ladder truck during a ceremony held in the Rose Hill town square. The truck was purchased by the Rose Hill Fire Department, a volunteer fire department serving Duplin County, North Carolina, and was made possible with the help of a $150,000 contribution from the Smithfield Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Smithfield Foods.

“We’re excited to share this exciting news with our community,” said Gary Boney, fire chief for the Rose Hill Fire Department. “This new truck will improve our fire department’s capabilities, and without the generous donation from Smithfield, this purchase would not have been possible.”

The Rose Hill Fire Department serves the city of Rose Hill, North Carolina, and the surrounding community, and currently has 40 volunteer firemen and six vehicles in its fleet. The new ladder truck will better equip the department to conduct rescue missions with its hydraulic aerial ladder that extends up to 100 feet in length. In previous years, the unit coordinated with surrounding jurisdictions for emergencies that required the use of a ladder truck.

“The strength and wellbeing of the places that our employees call home is very important to us at Smithfield Foods,” said John Sargent, vice president of U.S. Hog Production Operations for Smithfield Foods. “We are incredible thankful to the first responders who do so much to keep our communities safe and are proud to assist the Rose Hill volunteer firefighters by supporting the purchase of this new ladder truck.”

With more than 10,000 employees in the state of North Carolina, Smithfield’s donation to the Rose Hill Fire Department aligns with the company’s commitment to contribute to the vitality of the local communities where its employees live and work. For more information about Smithfield’s commitment to its local communities, please visit smithfieldfoods.com/helpingcommunities.

About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world’s largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories. Popular brands include Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Nathan’s Famous®, Farmland®, Armour®, Farmer John®, Kretschmar®, John Morrell®, Cook’s®, Gwaltney®, Carando®, Margherita®, Curly’s®, Healthy Ones®, Morliny®, Krakus®, and Berlinki®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b5f78451-f7e3-4a16-8db0-391e4602ff39