The new Sanderson Farms poultry processing plant in Palestine, Texas, is running near full capacity, while construction at its future poultry plant in St. Pauls, North Carolina, is progressing nicely, the company’s CEO said.
Joe Sanderson Jr., chairman and CEO of Sanderson Farms, gave updates on both facilities during the company’s third quarter conference call on August 25.
“The plant [in Palestine] represents over 14 percent more production for the company, and when added to the new production to our new production at our St. Pauls, North Carolina, facility, we will create opportunities for our employees, customers and most importantly our shareholders.”
Sanderson Farms plant in Palestine, Texas
Sanderson Farms first announced in February 2013 that it would build the plant in Palestine, after earlier plans to build it in Nash County, North Carolina fell through. It began construction of the plant later that year, with the intent to process 1.25 million head of chickens per week for the big bird deboning market. Operations there began in February 2015, and a second shift was added in April 2016.
Sanderson Farms plant in St. Pauls, North Carolina
Construction is on schedule for Sanderson Farms’ future poultry plant in St. Pauls, North Carolina, Sanderson reported that construction there should be completed during the first quarter of fiscal year 2017, which runs from November 2016 through January 2017.
At full capacity, the St. Pauls plant will also have a capacity to process 1.25 million birds per week.
