Farbest Foods breaks ground on turkey processing plant in Indiana

Farbest Foods, a US turkey processing firm, has broken ground on a $70m processing plant in Knox County, Indiana, as part of its effort to meet growing global demand for its products.

The company first announced its plans to construct the plant in December 2011, as its two facilities at Huntingburg and Dubois, Indiana, for turkey processing, feeding and growing, have reached their maximum production capacity.

The 21,089m² plant will be built in Vincennes city, on a 60-acre site in Highway 41 Industrial Park, which is owned and operated by the Knox County Development, an organisation that is responsible for economic development in the county.

Farbest noted that construction of the plant is expected to be completed in 2014 and, once operational, it will initially employ about 300 people and 600 people by the end of 2017.

The Indiana Economic Development, the state’s job-creation agency, is providing Farbest Foods with $3.8m in conditional tax credits if it meets the job targets, while Knox County is offering tax abatements.

Meanwhile, the company also plans to open a $20m feed mill in Indiana, which will create 30 new jobs.

The mill is expected to benefit local farmers as it will create additional demand for local grain.

Farbest Foods, headquartered in Huntingburg, Indiana, processes nearly 10 million turkeys annually through 170 contract growers in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.

The company provides more than a million pounds of raw fresh and frozen turkey products every day to companies who further prepare and package their own brand-name foods.