From WATTAgNet:
Sanderson Farms suspended production at its poultry plant in St. Pauls, North Carolina, on July 7 after electrical issues were encountered on the previous day.
Employees were asked not to report to work while the problems were addressed. Sanderson Farms spokesperson Kimberly White told the Robesonian that only the first shift of employees were to work on July 8, but normal operations were expected to resume on July 10.
The plant in St. Pauls is the newest one that is operated by Sanderson Farms, having opened in January. The plant measures 180,000 square feet and has the capacity to process 1.25 million birds per week for the big bird deboning market and will sell approximately 500 million pounds of dressed poultry meat annually.
The plant has been busy not only processing chicken for its own labels, but also for House of Raeford Farms. The two companies reached an agreement earlier in 2016 after House of Raeford’s poultry plant in Teachey, North Carolina, was destroyed by a fire. House of Raeford has since selected a contractor to oversee the rebuilding of the plant, with expectations that the building of the new plant will be completed by the summer of 2018.
Sanderson Farms has about 1,000 workers at the plant in St. Pauls.
Sanderson Farms closing plant on Friday
Sanderson Farms will close its processing plant in St. Pauls on Friday because of electrical issues encountered today, and employees are being asked not to come to work.