Perdue is closing the Booth Creek Natural Chicken plant in Fredericksburg, Pa., moving production to modernized plants for its Coleman and customer-owned organic and no-antibiotics brands. Fredericksburg is in Lebanon County, Pa. about 90 miles northwest of Wilmington.
“As we increased our focus on premium brands and products, we freed up capacity across our supply chain, which lead us to look at how we could align our assets to more efficiently serve all of our customers,” said Lester Gray, senior vice president of Operations for Perdue Foods.
Perdue is based in Salisbury, Md. It operates plants in Delaware and other areas of the Delmarva Peninsula.
“When we looked at our long-term needs, it became clear that the BCNC plant would require significant and costly upgrades, and even then, we would not overcome the age and physical limitations of the facility,” said Gray.
The Fredericksburg, Pa., plant will close on or shortly after March 14. The lease for a distribution center in Denver, Pa., that serves the BCNC plant will not be renewed. Perdue will offer all affected associates the opportunity to transfer to other Perdue facilities.
“We value the skills and dedication of the BCNC associates, and hope as many as possible will stay with us,” said Gray. “We are also working with the appropriate unions on potential transition benefits.” Published reports indicate the plant employs more than 600.
Associates who choose not to transfer will be offered severance packages, including extended benefits coverage. Perdue Farms will also work with other employers and agencies to place as many individuals as possible within the community.
These changes will have no impact on the company’s organic live production in Pennsylvania. Perdue will continue organic chicken production with the same local farmers, USDA certified organic feed ingredient suppliers and organic feed manufacturing, and local hatchery, according to a release.
The company plans to work with its other Pennsylvania growers on transitioning to organic production. Perdue Farms is also contracting with Pennsylvania farmers as it develops a breeder operation in the state.
“These moves are part of an ongoing strategy to focus on premium brands and products in the USDA Process Verified All-Vegetarian Fed, No-Antibiotics-Ever, and Organic segments, while increasing efficiencies in an ever-more competitive marketplace,” said Chairman Jim Perdue.
