The owner of the Missouri auction facility hosting a meeting about a proposed horse processing plant in Mountain Grove wants the gathering to be strictly a local affair.

On Feb. 24 the Wyoming-based Unified Equine LLC, announced it was conducting a study to determine the feasibility of locating a horse processing plant in the Twin Cities Industrial Park near Mountain Grove. According to plant developers Unified Meats LLC, the proposed Missouri plant would be a state-of-the-art facility primarily focused on processing horsemeat for human consumption, but also capable of processing beef and bison. Resulting products would be sold in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

On March 6 Mountain Grove residents packed a senior citizens center to learn more about the plant project, said Glenn Kemper, treasurer of the Mountain Grove Community Foundation. Some in attendance opposed the project on equine welfare, environmental, and other grounds, he added.

On March 12 Unified Equine Missouri, prospective developers of the processing plant, invited community members and local residents to an informational meeting about the proposed plant and the feasibility study currently under way