Sperry Farms is expanding operations at an egg complex near Atlantic, Pennsylvania.
Presently about 700,000 eggs are processed daily at the facility and about 1 million hens are housed there, but the expansion would increase the number of hens there by about 20 percent. The company is adding a layer house, which will have a capacity to house another 241,000 hens, and a house to raise chicks that will become laying hens. A new processing and packing facility is also being added.
Jason Sperry, vice-president of the family-run business, told the Meadville Tribune that an increasing consumer demand for shell eggs and a need for more efficiency within its operation are the two main reasons the egg company is expanding the facility.
The expansion project began earlier in 2016 and it is expected to be completed during the early months of 2017. The chick house, however, should be completed in the fall of 2016.
Once Sperry Farms’ completes the project, about 5 new employees will be added, bringing the total number of workers to 65.
According to Sperry, eggs produced by Sperry Farms are primarily sold to Hillandale Farms and sold to grocery stores and other food outlets in the region.
