A chicken processing plant in Davie County that was closed after a major fire last year has been sold. The new owner will continue poultry production at the site.
Last December, fire ripped through the House of Raeford Farms facility in Mocksville. No one was injured, but dozens of people were out of work after the plant sustained heavy damage.
Wisconsin-based Brakebush Brothers, which is also in the poultry business, recently bought the plant. According to the company's website, officials plan to update production lines and install new, state-of-the-art equipment.
“It's an absolute rescue,” says Terry Bralley, president of the Davie County Economic Development Commission. “That facility had been out of production and this will pump new investment into the community, which will be dollars, and also new workers during construction as well as the new production lines.”
Brakebush officials say the Mocksville processing plant will employ more than 300 people when it's at full capacity. The family-owned company produces a variety of products and also has plants in Wells, Minn., and Irving, Texas.
“The updated facility will accommodate three production lines when fully utilized, which is projected for spring 2019. Brakebush is retaining the employment of many of the management, administrative and hourly staff,” the company says on its website.
Bralley says the House of Raeford has paid employees since the fire. He expects that will continue through the end of December.
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