Holly Poultry Inc., a family-owned Baltimore-based poultry processor and wholesale meat distributor serving customers from New York to Richmond, has expanded its processing capacity with the completion of a state-of-the-art processing plant in West Baltimore.
The expansion will enable the company to hire 150 people over the next three to five years, doubling the size of its production staff. Eighty percent of Holly Poultry’s current employees reside in Baltimore City.
A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for June 7, 2017, at 1 p.m., at 2121 Wicomico Street for the newly constructed 37,500 square-foot plant.
“After years of planning our vision for the company and its employees has become a reality,” said Zach Fine, CEO of Holly Poultry. “The opening of our new processing facility will enable us to quadruple our production capacity, explore new markets, and accelerate growth throughout the Mid-Atlantic. We will be better able to serve our customers and continue to support the City of Baltimore.”
Mike Fine, who joined Holly Poultry in 1990 and owns the company, said it was important for him to continue to build his operations in Baltimore. When he joined, Holly Poultry had 20 employees. By 2015, the number had grown to 175, and it now stands at 225 – including 25 who were hired this year in anticipation of the grand opening.
“It’s where we’ve grown and succeeded as a business,” said Mike Fine “I want to help Baltimore City be successful and create job opportunities for its residents.
“BDC is thrilled to have assisted Holly Poultry expand here in Baltimore, and it looks like they are well under way to exceed their original hiring targets,” said William H. Cole, president and CEO of the Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC). “Manufacturing jobs like those at Holly Poultry that have low barriers to entry and provide opportunities for upward mobility are incredibly important to the City. In addition, this family-owned business provides jobs for people who may need a second chance, offering a greater opportunity for economic inclusion. We are excited that they have continued to grow in Southwest Baltimore.”
In addition to operating Holly Poultry, the company also runs a wholesale commodity business, State Street Poultry & Provisions LLC, whose operations will also undergo significant renovations in 2017, including an updated cooler, freezer, and offices. State Street is located at 2221 Berlin Street in West Baltimore.
“The renovation doubles our capacity, provides additional space to expand our product lines, and improves our buying power,” Zach Fine said. “By keeping our USDA designation, we can process other proteins and offer more value to our current market.”
Source: Holly Poultry
