You catch more flies with honey than with state law. The same is true of Ken Meyer. After six years of serving the people of Lake County as state's attorney, Meyer is resigning to work at the Meyer family's honey factory in Winfred.
I can't criticize a guy for choosing to help his family with their long-standing business. But the bees' gain is the county's loss. Meyer is a smart, conscientious public servant. He's a Republican, but his political mistakenness doesn't shade his integrity or ability to parse the law properly one iota.
Lake County is fortunate to be able to keep Meyer and his family in the neighborhood. Maybe Ken's pleasant personality will make the honey just a little sweeter. But those of us interested in law and justice can hope that Ken's involvement in the honey factory will consist of thinking up a brilliant business plan that expands the plant, supports hiring a few dozen workers, and sparking an urban renaissance in Winfred... so Ken can get back to practicing law.
I'm surprised Corey. I know a couple of people badly injured at this place. One was severely burned. A teenage kid was killed at Meyer Honey Plant also. This person wasn't able to any reimbursement aside from hospital bill for his disfigurement.
I met Ken once. Super friendly.
Meyer Honey Plant of Winfred SD has been negligent in several severe work accidents for years resulting in at least one death that I know of. Typical South Dakota business, low pay, irresponsible management. The SD laws that run the state keep this business open when it should have been shut down years ago, or paid severe OSHA fines.
Lawyer Ken Meyer would know all about his families negligent work place accidents.
Jenny, you bring up a reasonable point, one to which I haven't paid much attention. I wonder: is Ken just signing on as lead counsel for the company?
As a former employee of the A.H. Meyer and Sons honey company, I know all about the accidents in the past. That's exactly what they were, and I don't think you would find a person that took each of them more seriously than Jack Meyer Jr.
Personally, I never felt endangered or unsafe in my time there. They were great people to work for, and at the time, I thought I was making very good money. I don't know what they pay anymore, but it's minimum wage or better, and it's a job.
I have many fond memories of days spent working with JB and Sally, TJ Coomes, Jeff Beck and Josh Diaz. Jack often brought soda and cookies down for break on Saturday morning. I also wish Ken the best in entering the family business. I know he will enjoy his time there. I sure did.
Corey, there's been three serious fires there since 1990. Two severely burned and one death. For a small business, that's too many. But, for South Dakota, land of low wage and fear of unions, maybe that's normal.
Just google Madison Daily leader meyer honey plant fire.
I know the guys this happened to. One injured guy got one visit the whole time he was at Mckennan from old man Meyer. Yep, takes his employees and accidents seriously.
You ain't nuthin but a hound dog......cryin all the time. Made the King millions. Prob what burned him out.
This Ken has Mr. H's endorsement and there is no reason for me to doubt it. Besides, how can you get hurt pouring honey into little plastic bears? I bet they even have suits to keep you from getting all gooey.
Larry, I bet you relate well to Miss Guatemala, eh?
I like Ken. That doesn't mean I approve of exploding honey factories. Here are some past mishaps from the Winfred operation:
—October 2002: fire destroys beeswax rendering plant (article mentions previous fire, 1992, that destroyed extracting plant)
—December 2004: explosion levels Wax Bldg #2
—October 2009: house owned by Meyer company experiences minor smoke damage from kitchen fire; no apparent connection to honey factory operations.
Corey, the latest last Meyer Honey plant explosion - 9/29/2009. One employee was airlifted to Hennepin county trauma unit Minneapolis. Madison Daily Leader.
This place is notorious for horrific accidents.
Ah, missed that one in the Leader. Do you know of any other OSHA-worthy incidents?
Yes,there was one in the Summer of '90 that severely burned a man (23% of his upper body).
I have no respect for this business at all. This employee had only been working there two days when it happened and wasn't told of the dangerous working conditions of the vapors of the bee wax being prone to exploding. A truck had been sitting in a building where these vapors were and he started the ignition and it exploded. Lawyer Ken could tell you all about it.
Two days in? That's awful!