Major plant expansion, including processing and production upgrades at Wayne Farms’ Enterprise processing facility, are complete, ushering in an economic upsurge with hundreds of new jobs and millions of dollars in regional economic impact.
The expansion has transformed the Enterprise facility into one of the most modern, advanced operations in the industry. Employee-centered features like modern, wi-fi equipped breakrooms, enhanced plant ergonomics and other safety and health upgrades have been added, along with new farm and processing equipment and practices relating to enhanced animal welfare of the flocks. Processing technology improvements include Controlled Atmosphere Stunning, which reduces stress on chickens by minimizing handling and rendering them unconscious before processing.
The Enterprise upgrade is tied to the company’s move into the national consumer marketplace, as locally-produced NAKED TRUTH® premium chicken products hit grocery shelves in Whole Foods Markets in April. The Enterprise facility upgrade is part of a region-wide $350 million expansion of Wayne Farms’ south Alabama operation, including additional production capacity in the Dothan processing facility, construction of one of the largest poultry feed mills in the country near Ozark, and new contracts with hundreds of local family farm partners who raise chickens for the company.
South Alabama regional expansion has created hundreds more new positions at Wayne facilities in Dothan, Union Springs and Ozark. “Enterprise and South Alabama are central to our growth strategy,” said Brad Williams, Wayne Farms South Alabama region manager. “Our partnerships with Alabama and our local communities, access to a solid labor market, and quality farm operations in the region have been key to that growth.”
“We couldn’t have reached this point without a team effort”, agreed Enterprise complex manager Eddie Fortner. “We’re in a great community that supports us—we’re more than a business here — we’re neighbors and partners in making Enterprise and Coffee County better and more prosperous. We’re proud that this facility and these new jobs are going to be part of that.”
Wayne Farms’ investment in the region over the last five years are part of the company’s growth strategy to expand and enter new markets tied to production of antibiotic-free chicken and products produced under Global Animal Partnership Step 2 standards. Chicken products produced in Enterprise and south Alabama are bound for many of the nation’s best-known restaurant and retail food brands, and the company’s entry into the retail market with Enterprise-produced all-natural Naked Truth chicken was centered around the region’s expanded production capability.
Source: Wayne Farms
