WAYNE FARMS ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF OPERATIONS IN LAUREL

Posted on: October 11, 2013

EDA Chairman Billy Browning, Governor Phil Bryant and Mayor Johnny Magee at the Wayne Farm Expansion Announcement

 

Laurel, MS – (October 11, 2013) Gov. Phil Bryant and officials from Wayne Farms, producer of fresh and processed poultry, announced today the company is expanding its operations in Laurel, Miss. The expansion involves the addition of a new processing line and the renovation of the company’s existing facility. The project represents a company investment of $3 million and is creating 150 new jobs.

“I am grateful to the team at Wayne Farms for expanding its Laurel operations and creating so many new job opportunities for the area’s residents,” Gov. Bryant said. “When companies continue to invest in their existing Mississippi operations, it speaks to the fact that we offer businesses a supportive, favorable business climate to help ensure their success. I wish Wayne Farms many more years of success in Jones County.”

“Wayne Farms has been ‘in business’ with Mississippi and Laurel since 1957, and this block grant is testimony to the mutually-beneficial relationship we’ve enjoyed. It represents a true community partnership that will create 150 jobs and millions of dollars in economic impact to the area,” said Clint Rivers, vice president and general manager of Wayne Farms’ Fresh Processing Business Unit. “We’re grateful for the hard work and vision of the Mississippi Governor’s office, the Mississippi Development Authority and the confidence of this community. We’ll do our part to continue earning that confidence.”

The Mississippi Development Authority provided assistance in support of the project through the Community Development Block Grant program to assist with infrastructure and renovation. The City of Laurel provided assistance for the expansion, as well.

“The addition of this new processing line and the 150 new jobs being created will positively impact the Laurel community for years to come, and we are glad to have the resources in place to assist great companies such as Wayne Farms as they grow and strengthen their roots in our state,” said MDA Executive Director Brent Christensen. “We appreciate our partners at the Economic Development Authority of Jones County and the City of Laurel for working to make this project a reality.”

Wayne Farms LLC is the sixth largest vertically integrated poultry producer in the U.S. with annual sales exceeding $1.9 billion. The company owns and operates 11 fresh and further-processed facilities throughout the Southeast and produces more than 2.5 billion pounds of poultry products each year. For more information, please visit www.waynefarms.com.