Buyer found for Sarah Lee plant in New Hampton

A buyer’s been found for the closed-down Sara Lee plant in New Hampton. Sparboe Foods of Litchfield, Minnesota, has agreed to buy the facility. Sparboe’s known for raising laying-hens in Iowa and Minnesota, but Chickasaw County economic development director Herman Meyer says Sparboe recently purchased a company that processes eggs and will put it into the plant.Sparboe has purchased the entire Sara Lee plant, but the company will use only a portion for processing eggs. Meyer says Sparboe wants local folks to find other businesses to lease the rest of the space.Sparboe plans to hire up to 150 people for their egg breaking and separating operation. Meyer says the egg plant could be up and running as early as March. Sara Lee closed the plant in 1999 and laid off six hundred people.