It was a tight race to the final day, but after the clock ticked to Aug. 1, 2017, and voting ended, Smithfield Foods’ hometown plant — the Smithfield, Va., processing facility — stood as the winner of The National Provisioner’s 2017 Plant of the Year award.

Meat and poultry processors are seeking ways to address common industry challenges and trends by leveraging cutting-edge advancements in automation and inspection technologies.

In conjunction with our 2015 Processor of the Year story, Andy Hanacek, editor-in-chief of The National Provisioner, traveled to Enid, Okla., to tour and visit AdvancePierre Foods’ Enterprise facility.