As Wayne Farms nears completion of the expansion of its poultry processing facility in Enterprise, Alabama, the company is filling more than 400 positions created by the plant expansion.
The company recently hosted an open house and informational briefing for community and regional leaders to highlight the expanded plant’s potential economic impact.
The company broke ground for the $100 million project in December 2017.
The expanded plant includes the addition of a new processing line with state-of-the-industry technologies and processing equipment, including marination, waterjet portioning, automated sizing; and automated packaging, including controlled vacuum packaging.
The new line will focus on Wayne Farms’ new Naked Truth Premium Chicken brand, which features products from chickens raised to Global Animal Partnership (GAP) Step 2 program standards. Program requirements include additional house lighting and more natural light cycles for rest, reduced house density, environmental enrichments like perches and straw bales, and the use of controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS), rendering chickens unconscious prior to handling and processing.
Eddie Fornter, Enterprise operations manager for Wayne Farms, told open house attendees that the expansion is creating 386 new hourly positions and 34 salaried positions at the facility, and those positions will be filled over the next few months.
Fortner also explained the competitive wages and benefits available with the positions, as well as opportunities for local contractors, suppliers and vendors who provide goods and services for the location.
The community leaders attending the event were shown static displays and a video on poultry processing, while asking questions and providing suggestions on hiring practices.
Fortner finished the briefing by highlighting key aspects of the expansion, including the breeds of chicken to be processed, products to be produced and the anticipated economic impact that a larger poultry operation will create.
Local officials will be invited to tour the plant’s production operation at a later date.
