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Victor Ochoa, Managing Director“We not only find the workers, we screen them, recruit, and on top of that, we assist with the visa process,” says Victor Ochoa, managing director.
Having once stood in the workers’ boots himself, Ochoa leads with empathy and precision. He understands the cultural, linguistic and practical hurdles immigrant workers face and ensures every placement fits both farm needs and worker aspirations. That firsthand knowledge shapes Swineworks’ operations. While many recruiters have never stepped inside a barn, Ochoa’s team speaks the same language as farmers. With over 30,000 applicants in its database and partnerships with Mexican universities, Swineworks has grown into the largest staffing firm dedicated solely to the swine industry, bridging talent and opportunity across borders.
Comprehensive Staffing and Immigrant Solutions
Swineworks offers three tailored staffing models for farm clients. The direct placement model identifies, screens and connects professionals with employers. The temporary staffing model allows Swineworks to employ workers directly and assign them to farms for specific windows. Its immigration division manages TN visa applications, renewals and employer transitions, handling complexities that often discourage farms from international hiring. The company has also expanded into remote positions such as data entry, bookkeeping and administrative support for agriculture-related businesses.
Every engagement starts with a personal consultation to understand the farm’s needs, environment and expectations. Swineworks works with operations of all sizes. For smaller farms without HR or legal teams, it functions as a partner and an advisor, guiding clients on housing, transportation, wages, benefits and compliance to ensure fairness and stability.
We not only find the workers, we screen them, recruit, and on top of that, we assist with the visa process
Behind every placement lies a shared goal, stability. Many U.S. farms, especially those run by older families in rural regions, face chronic labor shortages as younger generations migrate to cities. Meanwhile, skilled graduates in rural Mexico seek sustainable careers. Swineworks bridges that gap. Its placements typically stay two to three years, lowering turnover from 80 percent to just 20 percent and giving farmers the continuity they need for production planning.
For workers, the transformation is often life changing. One Swineworks candidate who started at $12 an hour in Kentucky now earns $25, owns a home in U.S. and supports his family back in Mexico. Stories like this reflect the company’s dual impact— strengthening U.S. agriculture while creating upward mobility for Mexican professionals.
Leading Agricultural Force with Staffing Solutions
Swineworks has placed more than 1,500 professionals in the swine industry. The company serves the entire supply chain, from feed mills and swine production to packing plants, and is expanding into markets such as Canada, Mexico, and Europe. Its ability to navigate complex hiring and visa processes has remained a steady anchor for clients. Even when industry approval rates fell to about 10 percent, Swineworks achieved 40 percent. Today, it maintains an exceptional 96 percent approval rate, giving farms confidence that their workforce pipeline will stay secure as the company broadens its capabilities.
With its extensive experience, operational discipline, and firsthand understanding of both sides of the labor equation, Swineworks continues to transform agricultural staffing. It aligns talent with opportunity, strengthens rural communities and builds a more stable future for the U.S. swine industry.
Building Workforce Stability in Modern Swine Production
Few issues have become more disruptive to pork producers than labor turnover. Many farms now spend more time replacing workers than improving production efficiency. Rural labor shortages continue to affect daily farm activity across the United States, particularly in swine operations where the work is physically demanding and long-term retention has become increasingly difficult. Producers are under pressure to maintain production targets while also dealing with rising training costs, inconsistent staffing and growing competition for dependable labor.
The problem has intensified as fewer younger workers pursue careers in livestock agriculture. Many family-run farms now face succession gaps while experienced workers retire out of the industry. Local hiring efforts often produce inconsistent results because workers unfamiliar with farm conditions rarely stay long in demanding livestock environments. For producers, constant turnover creates more than hiring headaches. Animal care routines become harder to maintain, training cycles never fully end and management teams lose time that would otherwise go toward production planning and financial oversight.
That environment has changed what agricultural employers expect from staffing firms. Producers increasingly look for recruiting partners that understand swine production itself rather than firms approaching livestock hiring like standard labor placement. Knowledge of farm routines, production expectations and rural work culture has become important because technical ability alone does not guarantee that a candidate will adapt successfully to life on a swine operation.
Immigration support has also become a larger part of workforce planning. Many producers now rely on international labor programs to maintain stable staffing levels, though visa administration can quickly become difficult for operations without dedicated HR departments. Smaller producers are often placed at a disadvantage because they lack internal recruiting resources yet still face the same compliance responsibilities and documentation requirements as larger agricultural companies. Delays, filing mistakes or weak candidate preparation can interrupt hiring timelines and create additional strain during already difficult labor periods.
Retention now carries greater weight than placement volume alone. Producers are paying closer attention to whether workers remain in their roles long enough to create consistency across the farm. Housing arrangements, transportation support, compensation structures and cultural preparation all influence whether international workers settle successfully into rural communities. Staffing firms that remain connected to labor expectations on both sides of the hiring process often provide stronger long-term outcomes because they can help producers shape more competitive and realistic employment offers.
Within this part of the agricultural labor market, Swineworks has developed a strong position through its concentration on swine staffing and immigration services. The company focuses heavily on TN visa recruitment for veterinarians and agronomy professionals entering U.S. livestock operations from Mexico while also supporting direct placement, temporary labor and remote administrative staffing. Its leadership background inside swine production gives it direct familiarity with farm work and candidate evaluation, which differs from firms operating without livestock experience.
The company also manages immigration processing support including visa renewals and employer transfers, helping reduce administrative pressure for producers with limited recruiting infrastructure. Its relationships with agricultural universities in Mexico and its extensive applicant network provide access to labor pools that many farms would struggle to reach independently. For pork producers looking for greater workforce consistency and specialized recruiting knowledge tied closely to livestock production, Swineworks presents a credible option within agricultural staffing services.
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Company
Swineworks
Management
Victor Ochoa, Managing Director
Description
Swineworks is a specialized international recruitment company focused on the swine industry. It connects qualified candidates with employers in the swine and livestock industries, managing the entire hiring process from recruitment to relocation.
