The new House of Raeford Farms poultry processing plant in Teachey, North Carolina, is presently up and running in what a company spokesman describes as the first phase of operation.
The new plant was built to replace a previous facility that had been was severely damaged in an accidental fire that broke out in a second-story office on February 25, 2017. The company determined that the damages were so bad that the best option was to demolish the existing structure and rebuild. Demolition of the old plant began on April 3, 2017.
While construction of the new 200,000 square-foot plant was concluded in the fall of 2018, it is not expected to reach full capacity until the fall of 2020. Presently, the facility employs about 800 people and processes about 700,000 chickens per week, said Dave Witter, manager of corporate communications and sustainability.
According to Wittter, the new plant in Teachey, also known as the Wallace plant, has been designed with safety and sustainability in mind, and has been outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and advanced technology. It’s features include new food safety, preventive maintenance, and product tracking systems; advanced security and fire prevention equipment; an expanded and comfortable breakroom for employees; and a completely redesigned wastewater operation that enhances the quality of the water discharged and has the projected capability to reuse 450,000 gallons of water a day.
Witter said the company will release more information about the new plant when it is processing at full capacity.
The Teachey plant was one of two House of Raeford poultry plants to have operations cease as a result of a fire in 2017. It’s facility in Mocksville, North Carolina, was the site of a fire that occurred on December 14, 2017. However, House of Raeford opted not to rebuild and retain the facility in Mocksville. Instead, it sold the plant to Brakebush Brothers.
