From WATTAgNet:
Farbest Foods is investing $21.7 million to modernize its turkey plant in Huntingburg, Indiana.
A key part of the upgrade will be to a switch to controlled atmosphere stunning, a change Farbest Foods President Ted Seger told the Dubois County Commission was needed in order for the company to remain competitive with the rest of the United States turkey industry.
Of the $21.7 million budgeted for the upgrade, $13.5 million will be allocated toward building renovations, $5.5 million is planned for plant equipment and the remaining $2.7 million will be budgeted toward transportation equipment.
Farbest Foods is asking the county commission issue bonds to generate $6 million to go toward funding the project. The commission, which met with Seger during its meeting on August 21, is considering that request. The plant was built in 1969.
Farbest Foods is the fourth largest turkey company in the United States. According to the WATTAgNet Top Poultry Companies Database, the company, which also has its headquarters in Huntingburg, slaughtered 559 million pounds of live turkeys in 2016.
It has two slaughter plants, two processing plants and two feed mills. According to the Dubois County Herald, Farbest Foods also has 225 contract turkey growers.
After Farbest Foods nearly tripled in size over the course of the past ten years, Seger recently said any continued growth would come at a slower pace, because it did not make sense to continue rapid growth due to an oversupply of turkeys and other animal proteins.
Farbest plans $21.7 M investment at Huntingburg plant
HUNTINGBURG — Farbest Foods is planning to invest $21.7 million to modernize part of its plant on County Road 400 West in Huntingburg. The investment will help the company stay competitive in the turkey industry, Farbest President Ted Seger said Monday.
