House of Raeford Farms is reporting steady progress with its plans to rebuild two North Carolina poultry plants that were badly damaged by fires in 2017.
The first fire occurred at its plant in Teachey, also known as the Wallace plant, on February 25. The second fire happened at its facility in Mocksville on December 14.
Wallace plant
The fire at the Wallace plant, which investigators believed started accidentally in a second-story office, was so severe that the company decided to fully demolish the plant and rebuild a new one.
The construction process is moving forward and the company is on target to reopen the facility this summer.
The House of Raeford Farms poultry plant in Teachey, North Carolina, is being rebuilt with plans of being open in the summer. | House of Raeford
“As we approach the one-year anniversary of the devastating fire at our Wallace location, House of Raeford Farms is well on our way to rebuilding and emerging even stronger than before,” the company said in a statement.
“The groundswell of support from the local community over the last year has been nothing short of amazing and is sincerely appreciated. We are eternally grateful for the heroic actions of our first responders. With the support of our community and dedicated employees, we look forward to having the Wallace location up and running again soon.”
Mocksville plant
Two months after the fire at the Mocksville plant, House of Raeford is preparing for reconstruction.
"We will recover and rebuild our operation, allowing us to serve our customers better than ever," the company stated.
The demolition phase of the central part of the facility has begun. Structural engineers are evaluating the condition of the building on a weekly basis and once structural reports are finalized, reconstruction will begin.
A firm date for the reopening of the Mocksville location has not yet been established.
At the same time House of Raeford is coordinating the plant reconstruction, the company is ensuring the well-being of its employees.
“At House of Raeford, we remain committed to our 150 employees who were impacted by this unexpected event. All team members will continue to be paid their normal salary until further notice. In addition to wages, the company is offering opportunities for employees to expand their skills and improve their lives while the location is rebuilt,” the company stated.
Several resources and training opportunities have been offered to employees, including:
- The company chaplain is teaching Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University.
- The College of Davidson and Davie Counties is providing information on GED and ESL classes, career readiness certifications, continuing education and college classes.
- A local employment agency is assisting employees who are interested in temporary jobs while the location is closed.
- House of Raeford is offering in-house training and team building exercises.
“The continued community support following this crisis has been extraordinary and is sincerely appreciated,” House of Raeford Farms stated. “We want to express our deepest gratitude for the first responders whose brave, swift action helped ensure the safety of our House of Raeford family.”
