Brakebush Brothers to buy burned House of Raeford plant

Brakebush Brothers has reached an agreement to acquire the House of Raeford cooked chicken plant in Mocksville, North Carolina, both companies confirmed.

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88studio | Bigstock.com
88studio | Bigstock.com

Brakebush Brothers has reached an agreement to acquire the House of Raeford cooked chicken plant in Mocksville, North Carolina, both companies confirmed.

The plant has been out of operation since it was badly damaged in a fire in December 2017.

“House of Raeford is pleased that Brakebush, one of the country’s premier further processing companies, will rebuild, upfit and continue to operate the Mocksville plant following the fire last December,” Bob Johnson, owner and CEO of House of Raeford Farms, said in a statement. “The transaction will maintain quality employment and business opportunities in the community through the continued operation of this facility. We appreciate the patience of our employees through this transition.”

According to House of Raeford, the transaction will provide for long-term reciprocal supply agreements between the two companies. The transaction will also result in continued production and employment in the area, and an assured supply of raw material for Brakebush Brothers and its customers, and a continued supply of cooked chicken products for House of Raeford customers.

Two fires at House of Raeford plants

The fire at the Mocksville facility was the second fire at a House of Raeford plant to occur in 2017. Its plant in Teachey, North Carolina, known as the Wallace plant, was severely damaged by a fire in February 2017.

The company demolished the Wallace plant and began reconstruction. In an email sent on July 5, a spokesperson for House of Raeford stated that the company hopes to be at full production with one line and one shift at the Wallace plant within a few weeks.

Growth for Brakebush Brothers

The acquisition of the House of Raeford Farms is one of several moves in recent years Brakebush Brothers has made to ensure growth of the company.

In November 2017, it announced that it was expanding its operations in Westfield, Wisconsin. That expansion represented an investment of $86 million and the addition of 200 jobs to the local workforce.

Two months prior to that, Brakebush Brothers revealed that it was building a 315,000 square foot poultry further processing plant in Greenville, Texas, with intentions of creating more than 800 jobs.

Brakebush Brothers also acquired Wells Food Processing in Wells, Minnesota in 2016.

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