House of Raeford Farms announced on Tuesday the opening of a 64,000-square-foot further processing cook plant in Mocksville, North Carolina. The facility will produce fully-cooked chicken products including grill-marked fajita strips and filets; whole muscle and formed chicken tenders, filets, wings, nuggets and patties; and, fully-cooked chicken sausage and burgers. In a related move, the company also acquired the Speedy Bird™ trademark with the intention of launching many of these items under this popular brand.
In announcing the acquisition, Bob Johnson, president and CEO, indicated that this action supports the company’s strategy announced last year to expand its cooked chicken product lines in conjunction with an increase in chicken production volumes. “Combined with production capabilities at our cook plants in Raeford, NC and Hemingway, SC, we are now in a position to offer our retail, foodservice, and co-pack customers an even wider variety of further processed chicken and turkey products at competitive prices and increased supply,” said Johnson.
The Mocksville plant began operations in April and plans to grow to over 200 associates during the next several years. The facility, which has been idle for the past two years, has undergone refurbishing of the building, equipment, and grounds. According to Chris Murray, the company’s environmental manager, this includes a revamping of the wastewater and refrigeration systems to provide an environmentally sound and safe operation.
Johnson also emphasized, “Just as our company does in all of our locations, we look forward to becoming an integral part of the Mocksville and Davie County community, both as an employer as well as a good corporate citizen.”
