The new Lincoln Premium Poultry plant in Fremont, Nebraska, is on schedule to open in September, a company spokeswoman said.
Jessica Kolterman, community relations manager for Lincoln Premium Poultry, told KTIC that the plant will likely open shortly after Labor Day. A ribbon cutting event and open house is expected to occur later in the fall, she added, once the company has the chance to “get things up and going,” and “get the kinks out.”
Two career fair events have been planned for the facility, which will process chicken exclusively for Costco Wholesale Corporation. Kolterman said they will not necessarily hire people at those events, but it will give both the company and potential employees a chance to share information.
The prospect of filling those positions appears promising, Kolterman said during a podcast interview.
“One of the things we have been really excited about is just the sheer number of people who have expressed interest, even before we advertised that we’re hiring,” she said. “It was not uncommon to have people walk in every single day and say, ‘Hey, I’m interested in finding out more.’”
Lincoln Premium Poultry is partly owned by Costco. The facility is expected to process about 40 percent of the fresh chicken meat to be sold at Costco stores. When operational, the plant is expected to process about 2 million chickens per week.
The average size of the birds to be processed at the plant 6 pounds, 4 ounces.
Other new poultry plants
The Lincoln Premium Poultry plant is one of seven plants being built in the United States that were highlighted in an infographic on WATTAgNet in October 2018.
Two of those plants – a House of Raeford Farms plant in Teachey, North Carolina; and a Mountaire Farms plant in Siler City, North Carolina -- have already opened but have not yet reached full production.
