Perdue Farms has announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its chicken-processing complex in Dothan, Ala., to Wayne Farms, as part of its ongoing strategy to focus on branded products and strategic customer relationships.
The Dothan processing facility primarily supplies commodity-based products, which do not align with the company’s current strategy, said Perdue. The sale will not affect Perdue’s customers; branded and value-added production from Dothan will be consolidated into existing capacity at other Perdue facilities, especially those with lower grain transportation costs and all-vegetarian-fed programs. The sale will include the Dothan processing plant, Dothan hatchery and a feed mill and grow-out office DeFuniak Springs, Fla. Perdue will continue to operate a hatchery in Samson, Ala., to support the Perry, Ga., processing plant. The closing will not affect Perdue’s breeder operations in Florida and Alabama.
“While the Dothan plant no longer fits our strategies, I’m pleased Wayne Farms will be able to utilize the plant and especially pleased that they intend to keep all the employees and grower contracts,” said Jim Leighton, president of Perdue Foods. “Wayne Farms is a leader in business-to-business sales and Dothan’s capabilities are good fit. The pending sale is a win for both companies, the employees, the growers and the Dothan community.”
Both companies expect the sale to close December 1.
