(ARCADIA—SIMSBORO, LA) House of Raeford Farms CEO Bob Johnson announced today (7/23/19)the company will invest $40.9 million to build a new feed mill in Simsboro in Lincoln Parish and $5.7 million to upgrade its Arcadia chicken processing plant and Gibsland hatchery in Bienville Parish. The feed mill will be capable of producing 12,500 tons of chicken feed weekly, doubling the capacity of an older mill in Choudrant, LA.

“House of Raeford is committed to our operations in Louisiana as evidenced by these major capital expenditures and planned employment increases,” said Johnson. “In keeping with the growth objectives of our company, our Louisiana complex is also the first of our locations to offer ‘No Antibiotics Ever’ chicken products to our customers.”

The company will expand its operations at the Arcadia chicken processing facility and upgrade both the Arcadia facility and the Gibsland hatchery with building modifications and new equipment. The Bienville Parish expansion project will create 105 new direct jobs at an average annual salary of $24,000, plus benefits.

“We are excited about the economic impact this expansion will have on the Town of Arcadia,” said Arcadia Mayor O’Landis “Bubba” Millican. “House of Raeford is the heartbeat of our small town. Excitement breeds excitement, and I’m excited yet grateful that the House of Raeford is willing to continue to invest in Arcadia, as well as Bienville Parish long-term. The creation of over 100 new jobs will help with the unemployment rate not only in Arcadia but also in the surrounding areas. We look forward to the continued partnership with the House of Raeford.”

“House of Raeford’s investment and expansion in the Town of Gibsland is a game-changer for our community,” said Gibsland Mayor Ray Ivory. “We are very excited and look forward to working with the company for years to come.”

The expansion project in Bienville Parish will also retain 924 existing jobs. Louisiana Economic Development (LED) estimates those improvements will result in 284 new indirect jobs, for a total of 389 new jobs for Bienville Parish and the surrounding area.

“House of Raeford Farms has always been an integral part of our local economy, and we look forward to working with them to facilitate this exciting new operation,” said Secretary/Treasurer Rodney L. Warren of the Bienville Parish Police Jury.

In nearby Simsboro, the $40.9 million feed mill will create 13 new direct jobs at an average annual salary of $41,385, plus benefits, and will retain 36 existing jobs from the Choudrant mill. LED estimates the project will result in 36 new indirect jobs, for a total of 49 new jobs for Lincoln Parish and surrounding parishes.

“The Village of Simsboro is delighted that the House of Raeford is building a feed mill in our community,” said Simsboro Mayor Sybil Foster. “It means a great deal to our economy, and we look forward to a long relationship with the company.”

“We are thrilled to have such a great investment in Lincoln Parish,” said President Randy Roberson of the Lincoln Parish Police Jury. “We work very hard to provide a great place to live and work, and the House of Raeford expansion is the latest example of how our efforts are paying off.”

House of Raeford estimates construction of the new feed mill in Simsboro will take 18 months to two years to complete, while improvements to the Gibsland hatchery and Arcadia processing plant will be finished earlier. The expansions will allow the company to contract for 86 new poultry houses in the region. Under poultry house contracts, a company supplies birds and feed, and farmers provide housing, utilities and labor to raise chickens for the company. Development of the new poultry houses will generate an additional $28 million in construction-related spending in the region.

“We are happy to see House of Raeford Farms extend its commitment to Louisiana’s Northwest Region as it adds more than 100 jobs in Bienville Parish and invests almost $41 million in a new feed mill in Lincoln Parish,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “Food processing is big business for many of our North Louisiana communities. House of Raeford already is one of the largest employers in the area, so its decision to expand its operations is welcome news indeed.”

To secure the multi-location project, LED offered House of Raeford Farms a competitive incentive package that includes a performance-based Economic Development Award Program grant of $1 million to be used for production improvements and $500,00 to offset the cost of infrastructure improvements. The company also is expected to utilize Louisiana’s Enterprise Zone and Industrial Tax Exemption programs. North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP) first brought the lead to LED nearly four years and has been working alongside the company to identify sites for its expansion.

“North Louisiana Economic Partnership has been working with House of Raeford for several years to build a strong business case for investing capital and creating new jobs in North Louisiana,” said NLEP President Scott Martinez. “House of Raeford is a long-time, stable employer in the region, and we are excited about their multi-location expansion and the company’s commitment to growing in North Louisiana.”

Based in North Carolina, House of Raeford Farms distributes chicken products to food service companies, retail grocery stores, schools, other processing companies and export channels. Its product lines include ready-to-cook items, such as boneless skinless breasts, wings, tenders and boneless thighs, as well as fully-cooked products such as rotisserie chicken and mini-corn dogs. House of Raeford-labeled products are sold in retail grocery stores, and company products also are packaged under private labels for customers.

About House of Raeford Farms
House of Raeford Farms Inc. is one of the nation’s Top 10 largest chicken producers, providing ready-to-cook and further-processed chicken products to the foodservice, retail and export markets. The company is family owned and operated, and based in Rose Hill, North Carolina, with additional facilities in Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, visit houseofraeford.com.