Brakebush Brothers expanding poultry processing plant

Brakebush Brothers is expanding its poultry processing plant in Mocksville, North Carolina.

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Brakebush Brothers, processors of the raised without antibiotics chicken strips pictured above, is expanding its operations. (Brakebush Brothers)
Brakebush Brothers, processors of the raised without antibiotics chicken strips pictured above, is expanding its operations. (Brakebush Brothers)

Brakebush Brothers is expanding its poultry processing plant in Mocksville, North Carolina.

Brakebush Brothers purchased the 72,000 square foot facility from House of Raeford Farms in June 2018. The plant had been badly damaged by a fire in December 2017, and House of Raeford opted to sell the facility.

The plant reopened in October after repairing damages to the central portion of the plant and adding new processing equipment. Presently, there are about 56 people working at the plant, but with the expansion, up to 244 jobs will be created, reported the Winston-Salem Journal.

The expansion plans call for the addition of 38,000 square feet to the facility and an investment of $60 million.

An estimated 100 employees will be added in the near term, with the focus being on hiring second shift production workers and quality assurance specialists, as well as maintenance workers and refrigeration technicians for all shifts. The remaining 144 workers are expected to be added within the next two years.

The plant’s initial production capacity will be 90 million pounds of chicken annually, but the capacity will increase as lines are added.

Headquartered in Westfield, Wisconsin, Brakebush Brothers also operates facilities in Irving, Texas, and Wells, Minnesota.

House of Raeford acquired the Mocksville plant in May 2014. The plant was previously operated by Townsend, which filed for bankruptcy and went out of business. Ukrainian billionaire Oleg Bakhmatyuk purchased Townsend's assets in 2011, and decided to close the Mocksville plant, as well as the one in Siler City, North Carolina. Mountaire Farms has since purchased and reopened the Siler City plant.

The fire at the Mocksville plant was one of two plant fires House of Raeford experienced in a short period of time. The House of Raeford plant in Teachey, North Carolina, was damaged by a fire in February 2017, but has since been rebuilt and is back in operation.

 

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