Sanderson Farms’ Newest Poultry Complex in North Carolina Up and Running

After 70 years in the business, Sanderson Farms has grown to become the nation’s third largest poultry producer through an unmatched record of prudent growth in the industry. In more than two decades’ time, Sanderson Farms has built seven new poultry complexes, surpassing any other company’s record for organic growth in the industry since 1993.

In January, Sanderson Farms opened a new $155 million poultry complex in St. Pauls, North Carolina including a new processing plant, wastewater treatment facility, hatchery and expansion to the existing feed mill located in Kinston, North Carolina. This new 180,000-square-foot processing plant accompanies the 65,000-square-foot hatchery located in nearby Lumberton, North Carolina, as well as the expanded feed mill located in Kinston. The opening of the St. Pauls facility marked the company’s eleventh fully integrated poultry processing facility.

After 70 years in the business, Sanderson Farms has grown to become the nation’s third largest poultry producer through an unmatched record of prudent growth in the industry. In more than two decades’ time, Sanderson Farms has built seven new poultry complexes, surpassing any other company’s record for organic growth in the industry since 1993.

In January, Sanderson Farms opened a new $155 million poultry complex in St. Pauls, North Carolina including a new processing plant, wastewater treatment facility, hatchery and expansion to the existing feed mill located in Kinston, North Carolina. This new 180,000-square-foot processing plant accompanies the 65,000-square-foot hatchery located in nearby Lumberton, North Carolina, as well as the expanded feed mill located in Kinston. The opening of the St. Pauls facility marked the company’s eleventh fully integrated poultry processing facility.

“It is not our intent to simply be larger,” said Joe F. Sanderson, Jr., Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer for Sanderson Farms. “Our vision is to be special, successful and at the very top of our industry. We are expanding in order to realize that vision. Our balance sheet is strong, we have eliminated our debt and we have sufficient capital to execute our growth strategy.”

As Sanderson Farms continues to grow, the new big bird deboning facility in St. Pauls will provide accessibility to the East Coast market as well as employ more than 1,100 people in the St. Pauls community, excluding an additional 80 contracted family farmers. “We have a responsibility to be good neighbors where we operate,” said Pic Billingsley, Director of Development and Engineering for Sanderson Farms. “When Sanderson Farms enters a community, we strive to make that community better in many ways including providing jobs, raising the tax basis and preserving natural resources.”

In addition to the 1,600 workers the company already employs in the state of North Carolina, Sanderson Farms looks forward to providing employment opportunities to the people of Robeson County. “I think it’s probably one of the best things we’ve had in 30 years,” said St. Pauls Mayor, Gordon “Buddy” Westbrook. “We need the project. We need the jobs, so it’s great.”

The St. Pauls facility is currently running at 50 percent capacity and is scheduled to be operating at full capacity by the early part of 2018. At full capacity, the state-of-the-art poultry complex will be able to process 1.25 million birds per week for the big bird deboning market and will sell approximately 500 million pounds of dressed poultry annually. New automated and ergonomic technology incorporated at the St. Pauls processing plant, particularly in first processing, has helped to reduce labor costs, as well as increase employee safety and efficiency.

“The single most important asset Sanderson Farms has is our employees, therefore we are going to do everything within our power to design facilities and processes that work efficiently and safely for our employees,” said Lampkin Butts, President and Chief Operating Officer. “With over 14,000 employees currently working throughout our operations, I am proud to say that Sanderson is growing now more than ever and, as a result, the company is creating opportunity for our employees and growers, as well as adding value for our shareholders.”

At Sanderson Farms, our facilities are built with an intentional familiarity in architecture in an effort to create consistency so that employees who are familiar with one location are able to acclimate and assimilate into another plant environment very quickly. The concept of consistency has helped the company to be successful by cross-training employees and empowering them with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed within any area of the company’s operations.

“St. Pauls opened strong and has maintained that momentum over the past six months of operation,” said Brian Williams, Director of Processing for Sanderson Farms. “With this facility being our quickest ramp-up of production, I am pleased with the teamwork demonstrated by our employees, and I look forward to seeing what management and our employees are able to accomplish throughout the remainder of the year.”

The St. Pauls facility features the latest technology in the poultry industry, including technology dedicated to food safety, employee welfare and environmental conservation. Built on a greenfield site, the processing facility will utilize a wastewater treatment facility for recycling wastewater to be used on a neighboring 1,000-acre plot of land owned by the company. This process allows the company to replenish natural water sources, support stream flow and propagate vegetative cover while organically fertilizing farmland and irrigating crops.

Sanderson Farms believes in being a part of each community in which our facilities are located, and St. Pauls, North Carolina is certainly no exception. “The community of St. Pauls has welcomed Sanderson Farms with open arms,” said Billy Pitts, Corporate Processing Manager, who served as Division Manager at the time of the facility’s opening. “I have enjoyed getting to see so many local people get jobs and have the opportunity to support their families and make a difference for their family and their local communities because of the employment that Sanderson Farms offers.”