A state grant has been awarded to make road improvements in the area near Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, where Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch is planning a new egg production facility.
A $319,576 multimodal transportation fund grant, administered by the Commonwealth Financial Authority will partially fund a project to repave one road and widen the turns at two intersections, according to a press release sent from State Rep. Jesse Topper, R-Bedford, to Herald Mail Media.
“Though this project will allow the roads to accommodate increased traffic, area motorists will also benefit from the road improvements,” Topper said in the release. “I am grateful the (Commonwealth Financial Authority) also saw the merits of investing in this project that will improve our local and state economy.”
Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch in 2016 announced its plans to build a facility in the Mercersburg area. The company hoped to construct eight barns where about 2.4 million hens would be housed in cage-free systems.
Once the Mercersburg facility is operational, about 200 people are expected to be employed there. In addition to the barns, there will be a truck scale, manure pellet storage space, packing rooms and coolers, Herald Mail Media reported.
Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch, headquartered in Saranac, Michigan, celebrated its 60th year in business in 2018. Now being operated by the third generation of the Herbruck family, Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch is the 11th largest egg company in the United States and the largest egg company in Michigan, with a flock of 8.65 million hens, according to the WATTAgNet Top Poultry Companies Database.
Herbruck’s produces white and brown conventionally raised eggs, cage-free eggs, organic eggs and nutritionally enhanced eggs. It also produces liquid egg products, consumer packed and institutional or bulk packaged egg products.
Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch was a recipient of a U.S. Poultry & Egg Association Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award during the 2018 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE).